US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT490

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000490 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI (TROBERTS), NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY), NEA/P 
(FFINVER), INR/R/MR 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER/ASILAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KMDR, OIIP, MU, Public Affairs 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SHARON AND PALESTINIAN COMMITMENTS, 
AMERICAN AIRBASE IN LEBANON, AND DOHA BOMBING 
 
 
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Stopping the Violence 
--------------------- 
 
1. On March 19, the government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" carried 
an editorial entitled, "Sharon's Dilemma is Growing": 
 
"The  Palestinian  commitment to stop attacks against  Israel  -- 
provided   Israel   stops  its  hostile   actions   against   the 
Palestinians  --  has put real pressure on Sharon.   The  Israeli 
Prime Minister must commit to ending Israel's hostile actions and 
stop  the  continual  cycle of Israeli  excuses  for  its  unfair 
actions." 
 
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Conspiracy Theory 
----------------- 
 
2. The privately-owned Arabic daily "al-Watan" published an 
editorial on March 21 entitled, "For the Airbase": 
 
"The Arab media has ignored press reports from other regions on 
the reason behind the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri and its 
likely consequences.  One electronic journal, "Journal Online" 
suggests that the real goal of the assassination is to create a 
crisis between Syria and Lebanon in order to force the Syrians to 
pull their troops out of Lebanon.  This would clear the way for 
the U.S. to establish an airbase in the country.  The journal 
speculates that the American administration would use the airbase 
as a center for communication and a forum from which to protect 
the oil pipelines in southern Iraq, the Caspian Sea, and the 
Turkish port of Jihan.  According to the journal, a CIA source in 
Washington confirmed that the proposed base would be as important 
as any of the other U.S. bases in the Gulf." 
 
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Rejecting Terrorism 
------------------- 
 
3. On March 21, the government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" 
published an editorial entitled "The Condemnation of Terrorism": 
 
"All  forms  of  terrorism must be rejected.   The  international 
community  should  stand firm against this  phenomenon  that  has 
taken  root in Arab and Islamic communities despite our call  for 
tolerance  and forgiveness.  The terrible attack in Doha  was  an 
immoral act.  It has nothing to do with religion.  The government 
of  the Sultanate of Oman strongly condemned the attack, and  its 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs issued a statement  affirming  its 
support for Qatar." 
 
BALTIMORE