US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1243

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001243 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, INR/R/MR 
 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR ASILAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KMDR, OIIP, IZ, MU, Public Affairs 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ, SUDAN, AND REFORM IN THE ARAB 
WORLD 
 
 
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Losing Control? 
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1. Issa Al-Zedjali, editor in chief of Arabic daily "Al- 
Shabibah," wrote an editorial on August 7 under the headline 
"Americans Begin Losing Control in Iraq": 
 
"The Iraqi crisis is getting worse day by day, and there is no 
let up in sight. The commander of the American forces in Iraq has 
acknowledged the strength of the armed groups and their expansion 
in a number of Iraqi cities, in addition to the advanced weapons 
they use. American forces in Iraq are now in a critical 
situation. They are contemplating ways and means of achieving 
victory over terrorism and providing Iraqis with security. This 
is a difficult proposition; in fact, it is a nearly impossible 
task, considering the fact that they are up against an enemy that 
is growing in strength with each passing day." 
 
 
 
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Peace in Sudan 
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2. Government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" featured an editorial on 
August 8 entitled "Sudan and the Implementation of Peace 
Agreement": 
 
"Despite the absence of John Garang from the Sudanese political 
scene and the clear loss resulting from it, all political powers 
in Khartoum and the south have ensured that the best way forward 
is to work hard to implement the terms of the peace agreement. 
This was made clear by Omar Al-Basher's promise to implement the 
terms of peace agreement signed in Nairobi at the beginning of 
current year. Sudan is going through a phase that calls for 
stability and calm to overcome the gap created by Garang's 
absence... 
 
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Reform Vacuum 
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3. "Oman" also published on August 8 an editorial entitled "Will 
Current Calls for Reforms End Existing Tensions?": 
 
"The whole world has been facing one crisis or another since 
9/11...America invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, and explosions took 
place in different places, most recently in London... The 
Americans came to call for reforms in the Arab world, believing 
that lack of democracy and internal stability cause these 
catastrophes. It is true that reform, development, and renovation 
are vital needs; however, such steps should be taken willingly. 
It should be an internal matter that countries should freely 
choose to apply. There has been a lot of talk on reforms like the 
Greater Middle East Initiative and other similar projects that 
the Arab world did not agree to. The problem is that their 
refusal to accept reform imposed by external powers has not been 
followed by any self-initiated reform movements by the Arab 
themselves." 
 
BALTIMORE