US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI2574

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002574 
 
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 FOR MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ABUSE OF THE KORAN 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  A COLUMNIST IN THE ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" WARNED 
ALL MUSLIMS AGAINST AN ALLEGED AMERICAN-ISRAELI PLAN TO DESTROY 
AL-AQSA MOSQUE.  THE COLUMNIST CLAIMS THAT THE KORAN ABUSE IN 
GUANTANAMO IS A CONSPIRACY AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS A WAR CRIME. 
THE COLUMN URGES MUSLIMS TO NOT BE TOLERANT REGARDING THESE ACTS. 
END SUMMARY 
 
2. COMMENTING ON THE DESECRATION OF THE KOEAN IN GUANTANAMO BAY, 
AHMAD KANANI WROTE IN THE DUBAI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" 
6/7:(CIRCULATION 90,000) 
 
".THE AMERICANS REALIZED THAT THEIR DENIAL OF THIS ACCUSATION IS 
NOT CONVINCING ANYONE AND WILL NOT IMPROVE THEIR POSITION IN THE 
MUSLIM WORLD.  THEIR PRESSURE ON NEWSWEEK TO DENY THE INFORMATION 
MADE THE UNITED STATES LOOK SILLY AND CONFUSED. THEREFORE, THEY 
USED A MALICIOUS TACTIC BY DISPENSING THE INFORMATION GRADUALLY 
TO PREPARE THE MUSLIMSTO ACCEPT SUCH A CRIME..SUCH A CRIME SHOULD 
BE JUDGED BY THE MUSLIMS.  THE GUILTY SHOULD BE PUT ON TRIAL, AND 
BEFORE A COURT FOR WAR CRIMINALES FOR COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST 
HUMANITY.  WHAT IS ALSO REQUIRED, IS TO CONVINCE THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT AND DEPARTMENTS TO ESTABLISH A MECHANISM THAT ENSURES 
SUCH AN ACT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE WITH THE KORAN OR 
ANY MUSLIM HOLY SITE INCLUDING THE AL-AQSA MOSQUE. THE U.S. 
SHOULD ALSO CLOSE GUANTANAMO BAY AND RELEASE ALL OF THE 
DETAINEES, OR TRY THEM BEFORE A FAIR COURT SHOULD THEY BE 
GUILTY(THIS HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN AND MAY NEVER.) WHAT IS ALSO 
REQUIRED IS THAT THE MUSLIM REACTION MUST BE LOUD AFTER THE 
OFFICIAL AMERICAN ADMITTANCE......ONCE A CATASTROPHE TAKES PLACE 
AND THE AL-AQSA IS DEMOLISHED, IT  WILL BE EXPLAINED AS IF IT WAS 
AN INDIVIDUAL ACT AND NOT A DELIBERATE ONE." 
 
"THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW AGAINST AL-AQSA MOSQUE.  EVERY 
WEEK NEWS REPORTS REACH US ABOUT AN EXTREMIST JEWISH GROUP THAT 
SEEKS TO ATTACK THE MOSQUE AND DESTORY IT.  MUSLIMS MAY BE SO 
ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING THESE REPORTS,  UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN WE ALL 
WAKE UP AND WITNESS A CATASTROPHE; THIS IS THE CORE OF THE 
AMERICAN-ISRAELI SCHEME AGAINST THE MOSQUE.  ANY TOLERANCE 
TOWARDS THE ISSUE OF KORAN ABUSE SIMPLY MEANS THAT YOU ARE 
ALLOWING ZIONISTS AND AMERICAN NEOCONSERVATIVES THE CHANCE, AND 
THE GREEN LIGHT TO UNDERMINE THE AL-AQSA MOSUE.  IS THIS ENOUGH 
TO ALERT ALL OF US?" 
 
SISON