US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI1307

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001307 
 
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; ALSO FOR MOC 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: APPOINTMENT OF KAREN HUGHES 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  TWO PIECES IN LARGEST CIRCULATION ARABIC LANGUAGE 
DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, PAN-ARAB "AL-KHALEEJ" 3/20 COMMENT ON 
APPOINTMENT OF NEW UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
KAREN HUGHES.  AN EGYPTIAN COLUMNIST COMPARES HER TASK OF 
JUSTIFYING AMERICA'S POLITICAL AND MILITARY ACTIONS TO A PERFUME 
SELLER IN AN ALLEY THAT IS FULL OF GARBAGE.  ABU SALEM, A 
COLUMNIST WRITING UNDER A PEN-NAME, WROTE IN THE SAME PAPER THAT 
EVEN IF THE ADMINISTRATION BRINGS ONE THOUSAND LADIES LIKE 
HUGHES, THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CLEAN THE IMAGE OF THE UNITED 
STATES. END SUMMARY 
 
2.  EGYPTIAN COLUMNIST KHAIRY MANSOUR WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" 3/20: 
(ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, CIRCULATION 90,000) 
 
"KAREN HUGHES, A CLOSE ADVISOR OF PRESIDENT BUSH. TOOK CHARGE OF 
ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TASKS ONE CAN IMAGINE -- CLEANSING 
AMERICA'S REPUTATION IN THE WORLD.  THIS MISSION IS MUCH MORE 
DIFFICULT THAN MONEY LAUNDERING, BECAUSE CURRENTLY THE U.S. 
ENJOYS A REPUTATION THAT NO ONE WOULD ENVY.  THE APPOINTMENT OF A 
VERY CLOSE MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S TEAM TO A SUCH A KEY 
POSITION SIGNALS AN INTENT TO MEND WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION, 
PENTAGON AND MILITARY DIPLOMACY HAVE SPOILED, AND RECOGNITION BY 
THE PRESIDENT THAT HIS NATION'S REPUTATION HAS DROPPED AND IS 
EXPERIENCING A SERIOUS CRISIS OF TRUST.  THIS RECOGNITION 
REFLECTS SELF-CRITICISM THAT MANY WOULD CLASSIFY UNDER THE LIST 
OF VIRTUES.  BUT, IS IT ENOUGH FOR A PERSON OF LOW REPUTATION TO 
ADMIT THAT OTHERS ARE RIGHT IN THEIR CRITICISM?  IF HUGHES TRIES 
TO MARKET NEW AMERICAN CONCEPTS IN DEFENSE OF HER NATION'S 
REPUTATION, THEN SHE WOULD BE "TRANSFORMING AMERICA'S MISTAKES 
INTO SINS". WHAT DOES SELLING PERFUMES IN AN ALLEY THAT IS 
CROWDED WITH STINKING GARBAGE MEAN?  IT LOOKS RIDICULOUS IF IT IS 
INTENDED TO JUSTIFY THE U.S.'S PAST AND PRESENT POSITIONS TOWARDS 
THE REST OF THE WORLD.  WE SINCERELY SYMPATHIZE WITH MRS. HUGHES 
IN HER DIFFICULT MISSION.  SHE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY START WONDERING, 
WHY IS EVERYTHING AMERICAN HATED TO SUCH AN EXTREME EXTENT?  AND 
WHY IS THE IMAGE OF THE UGLY AMERICAN YANKEE, WHICH HAS 
DIMINISHED FOR DECADES, BACK AGAIN?  CLEANSING THE AMERICAN IMAGE 
IS EXTREMELY COSTLY AND ITS PRICE MAY OVERRIDE WHAT IS BEING 
SPENT FOR THE WARS AGAINST TERRORISM. THE PRESIDENT NEEDS AN 
ADVISOR FOR THE SECURITY OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION, NOT FOR 
NATIONAL SECURITY. THESE ADVISORS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE 
RIGHT CHOICES TO MEND THE BAD IMAGE OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND 
THEREFORE, CLEANSE THE BAD REPUTATION.  SHE SHOULD APPOINT A 
SOMALI ADVISOR, A SUDANESE, AN IRAQI, A REPENTANT EUROPEAN, IN 
ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF OLD ADVISORS FROM LATIN AMERICA WHO 
WITNESSED AMERICAN GENEROSITY TOWARDS FORMER CHILEAN PRESIDENT 
PINOCHET.  THESE PEOPLE ARE FULLY AWARE OF AMERICA'S REPUTATION 
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.  HOWEVER, IF HUGHES ENDS UP RELYING ON 
FORMER AMBASSADORS AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RETIREES - THE TYPE OF 
PEOPLE WHO USE FACTS AND RESEARCH TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN AGENDAS- 
IF SHE RELIES ON THESE PEOPLE, SHE WILL SOON FIND OUT THAT HER 
POSITION WILL DO MORE DAMAGE TO HER NATION'S REPUTATION. 
 
3.ABU SALEM (PEN NAME) WROTE IN THE LAST PAGE OF THE BUSINESS 
SECTION OF "AL-KHALEEJ" 3/20: 
"THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION APPOINTED KAREN HUGHES IN AN INFO- 
POLITICAL POSITION TO IMPROVE AMERICA'S REPUTATION.  THE 
APPOINTMENT INDICATED THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS AWARE OF 
ITS POOR REPUTATION AND THAT IT REQUIRES SOMEONE TO CLEAN IT UP, 
POLISH IT AND IMPROVE IT.  THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVEN IF THEY BRING 
ONE THOUSAND LADIES LIKE HUGHES, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DETERGENTS 
OR MAKE-UP IN THE WHOLE WORLD TO IMPROVE THE REPUTATION OF THE 
UNITED STATES." 
ALBRIGHT