US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1092

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, INR/R/MR 
 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR ASILAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KMDR, OIIP, PTER, PREL, MU, Public Affairs, Terrorism 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: TERRORIST ATTACKS IN LONDON 
 
 
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The Roots of Terrorism 
---------------------- 
 
1. The government-owned Arabic-language daily "Oman" published an 
editorial on July 11 entitled "The Search For Solutions To 
Violence": 
 
"Wars do not solve the phenomena of terrorism and violence.  The 
solution requires a serious effort to understand terrorism's 
roots and causes.  British PM Tony Blair previously spoke of the 
necessity of studying the roots of terrorism, claiming that 
strict security procedures alone would not prevent terrorist 
attacks.  The London bombings, tragically, underscored his point. 
Terrorism is an international problem that has neither a 
nationality nor a religion.  This means that connecting terrorism 
with a certain religion is a fatal mistake which can only lead to 
hatred between countries." 
 
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The Insanity of Terrorism 
------------------------- 
 
2. Abdullah al-Alyan penned an opinion piece in "Oman" on July 
11, entitled "The Insanity Of Targeting The Innocents": 
 
"The terrorist bombs that exploded in London revealed the 
insanity of terrorism, in which everybody is a target.  The goal 
of this attack was to scare the innocents: men, women, and 
children, regardless of whether or not they had any role in the 
policies of their countries.  Such random killings are condemned 
by all religions and civilizations.  If it is discovered that a 
certain Islamic group is behind these attacks, it must be 
remembered that such crimes are not condoned by any Islamic 
teachings or morals.  Rather than accomplishing its objective, 
this heinous act will only increase the difficulties for Muslims 
residing in Britain and other Western nations, taking us back to 
the sorrowful time after the 9/11 incidents." 
 
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The Double Standard of Terrorism 
-------------------------------- 
 
3. Also in "Oman" on July 11, Dr. Obaid al-Shaqsi, a professor at 
Sultan Qaboos University, wrote an op-ed under the headline "The 
Fruits Of The War On Terror": 
 
"A recent editorial in a leading British newspaper acknowledged 
the double standard that exists when American or British 
casualties are compared to Third World casualties, particularly 
in Arab and Muslim countries.  Leaders and decision makers in 
Britain and the U.S. describe foreign deaths as `collateral 
damage,' while their own losses are termed `inhuman,' `horrible,' 
and - as Tony Blair put it - `barbaric.'  But is the suffering of 
an American or a British citizen any different from the suffering 
of an Iraqi or an Afghan?  Violence is violence, whether it comes 
in the form of a destructive war or in the form of terrorist 
attacks against innocent civilians.  Both activities are designed 
to deprive human beings of the right to live." 
 
BALTIMORE