US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI999

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000999 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  LEBANON 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:    THE SITUATION IN LEBANON AND THE LONDON 
CONFERENCE SUPPORTING THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DOMINATED 
COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA.  AN EDITORIAL IN 
"AL ITTIHAD" LAUDED THE RESIGNATION OF OMAR KARAMI.  ANOTHER 
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE REASONS BEHIND 
KARAMI'S RESIGNATION.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" CRITICIZED 
THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST PROJECT AND URGED ARABS TO DRAW THEIR OWN 
ROAD MAP.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  LAUDING THE RESIGNATION OF OMAR KARAMI AND HIS GOVERNMENT, AL 
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 03/02: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, 
SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". THE DEVELOPMENTS IN LEBANON SINCE AL HARIRI'S ASSASSINATION 
PROVED THAT THE LEBANESE PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME THAT TRAGIC EVENT 
AND ARE NOW WISER, HAVING DEALT WITH THE CRISIS SENSIBLY AND 
INSIGHTFULLY.THE RESIGNATION OF KARAMI, ALTHOUGH LATE, MEANS THAT 
ALL POLITICAL GROUPS UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF THIS CRISIS. 
MAINTAINING A BALANCED RELATIONSHIP WITH SYRIA ACCORDING TO THE 
TAYEF AGREEMENTS IS REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR LEBANON TO PEACEFULLY 
CONTINUE ITS NATIONAL AND ARAB JOURNEY." 
 
3.  BEING SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT'S RESIGNATION, 
"AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 03/02: (ARABIC DAILY, DUBAI-BASED 
BUSINESS-ORIENTED, CIRCULATION 40,000) 
 
". THIS RESIGNATION IS OPEN TO TWO INTERPRETATIONS, DEPENDING ON 
THE REASONS FOR HIS RESIGNATION.  IF THE REASON WAS TO THROW 
LEBANON INTO A LONG GOVERNMENT CRISIS THEN HIS DECISION WILL LEAD 
TO GREATER DETERIORATION, BUT IF THE REASON WAS TO ASSIST LEBANON 
IS OVERCOMING THIS CRISIS IN A REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE WAY THEN 
THE CRISIS WILL BE OVER. IF INDICATIONS ARE CORRECT, AND THE 
RESIGNATION IS FOR THE SECOND REASON, THEN THE SITUATION IN 
LEBANON WILL SOON BE ON THE RIGHT TRACK." 
 
4.  NOTING THAT ARABS SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN ROAD MAP AND 
CRITICIZING THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST PROJECT, "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 03/02: (ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, 
CIRCULATION 90,000) 
 
"WHEN WILL ARAB COUNTRIES DECIDE TO DRAW THEIR OWN ROAD MAP, ONE 
BASED ON SERIOUS, COURAGEOUS, AND HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT THE 
ARAB SITUATION.ONE THAT WILL RESULT IN THE BETTER FUTURE THAT ALL 
ARABS DESERVE.THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST PROJECT'S INVASION OF THE 
ARAB WORLD SHOULD BE STRONGLY RESISTED BY ALL ARABS SINCE IT 
MINIMIZES ARABS AND BURIES THEIR IDENTITY.THE NEXT ARAB SUMMIT IS 
VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION THE ARAB WORLD IS FACING 
NOW." 
SISON