US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3927

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003927 
 
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 PASS MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: 9/11/ CONTRIBUTION TO KATRINA VICTIMS 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY: ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILIES COVERED 
MISSION'S COMMEMORATION OF THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 
TERRORIST ATTACKS THAT WAS ATTENDED BY THE RELIGIOUS ADVISOR OF 
THE PRESIDENT, SENIOR UAE OFFICIALS AND CHIEFS OF MISSIONS 
ACCREDITED IN THE UAE.  A SEPARATE PRESS RELEASE THANKING THE 
UAEG FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KATRINA VICTIMS WAS CARRIED IN ALL 
PAPERS. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL-BAYAN" ADMITS THAT THE ATTACKS 
REPRESENTED A SHOCK AND HUMILIATION THAT OBLIGED THE U.S. TO 
RESPOND, YET THE REACTION WENT TOO FAR TO THE LEVEL OF 
REFORMULATING THE REGION IN ACCORDANCE WITH U.S. INTERESTS.  "AL- 
KHALEEJ" WONDERS ABOUT THE RESULT OF U.S. WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, 
NOTING THAT THE WAR THAT COST $500 BILLIONS ACHIEVED NOTHING AND 
AFGHANISTAN REMAINS A QUAGMIRE, BEN LADEN REMAINS ALIVE AND IRAQ 
HAS TURNED FROM A SMALL NATION BESEIGED BY THE U.S. INTO A NATION 
THAT BESEIGES AMERICA. A COMMENTATOR IN AL ITTIHAD SAYS ARAB 
REGIMES CHANGE ONLY IF AMERICA KICKS ASS. END SUMMARY 
 
2.  ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILIES ON 9/12 FEATURED THE 
EMBASSY'S OBSERVATION OF THE 9/11 TERRIRST ATTACKS. 
 
THE ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" HEADLINED: 
 
"THE AMERICAN EMBASSY OBSERVES THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11 
ATTACKS.  SISON: `THE UAE IS A STANCH AND STRONG ALLY IN 
CONFRONTING TERRORISM.  HASHEMI CALLS FOR MORE EFFORTS TO SPREAD 
VALUES OF LOVE AND TOLERANCE WORLDWIDE." 
 
ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" HEADLINED: 
 
"U.S. AMBASSADOR PRAISES UAE'S SUPPORT.  THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN 
ABU DHABI OBSERVES THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11." 
 
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY DUBAI-BASED DAILY "KHALEEJ TIMES" 
HEADLINED: 
 
"4TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 OBSERVED.  ENVOYS, DIPLOMATS, UAE 
OFFICIALS GATHERED AT THE U.S. EMBASSY.  U.S. THANKS UAE FOR 
KATRINA AID." 
 
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DUBAI-BASED DAILY "GULF NEWS" HEADLINED: 
 
"U.S. EMBASSY HOLDS 9/11 REMEBRANCE CEREMONY." 
 
3. 9/14, ALL PAPERS CARRIED AMBASSADOR'S STATEMENT THANKING THE 
UAEG FOR KATRINA ASSISTANCE.  AL-ITTIHAD HAD THE STORY ON PAGE 1 
UNDER THE BANNER.  THE FULL TEXT AND PHOTO WAS PUBLISHED ON 
OFFICIAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION WEBSITE. 
 
4.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "9/11 AND THE MOUNTING CONSEQUENCES", 
DUBAI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL BAYAN," (CIRCULATION 90,000): 
 
"ALTHOUGH THE ATTACKS REPRESENTED A SHOCK AND HUMILIATION THAT 
AMERICA HAD TO RESPOND TO WITH A SIMILAR POWER, YET THE RESPONSE 
WAS TAKEN UNILATERALLY AND WENT FAR BEYOND ALL NORMS AND IGNORED 
ALL OPPOSITION BY UN.  THIS MADE PEOPLE COME TO THE CONCLUSION 
THAT THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION IS USING THE EVENT AS A PRETEXT TO 
REFORMULATE AND REMAP THE ENTIRE REGION." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY:  WHAT HAS BEEN 
CHANGED?", SHARJAH-BASED PAN -ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ," 
(CIRCULATION 85,000): 
 
"THE FIRST QUESTION AMERICA ASKED ITSELF ON THE MORNING OF THE 
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY IS: WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED DURING THE LAST FEW 
YEARS DURING WHICH WE FOUGHT TWO HUGE BATTLES AND A GLOBAL WAR 
AGAINST TERRORISM WHERE WE SPENT MORE THAN $500 BILLIONS ON 
FOREIGN AND NATIONAL SECURITY?  THE INITIAL ANSWER IS SIMPLY 
NOTHING; AFGHANISTAN REMAINS A QUAGMIRE AS IT WAS BEFORE THE YEAR 
2001 AND IRAQ HAS BEEN TURNED FROM A SMALL NATION BESEIGED BY THE 
U.S. INTO A STATE THAT BESEIGES THE U.S. AFTER THE INVASION. 
ABOVE ALL, OSAMA BIN LADEN REMAINS ALIVE AND MOVES COMPLETELY 
FREE BETWEEN LONDON, MADRID AND SOUTHEASTERN CAPITALS AND MAY BE 
SOON BETWEEN LOS ANGLES AND NEW JERSEY." 
 
6.  COMMENTATOR ABDULLAH RASHEED WROTE UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE 
POLICY OF KICK ASS", IN THE SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC 
DAILY "AL ITTIHAD," (CIRCULATION 65,000): 
 
". THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE ARAB WORLD HAS WITNESSED REMARKABLE 
CHANGES DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS.  HOWEVER, THESE CHANGES WOULD 
NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITHOUT FOREIGN PRESSURE, NAMELY AMERICAN 
PRESSURE ON MOST ARAB REGIMES.  THE CHANGE AND THE CALL FOR 
CHANGE CAME IN REACTION TO FOREIGN PRESSURE THAT FORCED THE ARAB 
REGIMES TO GIVE IN, AND NOT IN RESPONSE TO INTERNAL NEEDS AS MANY 
TRY TO DELUDE THEMSELVES.  THE FACT IS, WITHOUT WESTERN DEMANDS 
AND WITHOUT U.S. EFFORTS TO FORCE ARAB NATIONS TO TAKE THESE 
STEPS, USING STICKS SOMETIMES AND CARROTS OTHER TIMES, THESE 
REGIMES WOULD NOT GIVE IN TO THE DESIRES OF THEIR PEOPLE.  THE 
ARAB WORLD OFTEN BEHAVES LIKE AN ADOLESCENT, WHO ONLY IS DETERRED 
IF HE IS KICKED ON HIS ASS.  `THE CHANGE FROM INSIDE' IS A JOKE 
THAT WAS PROMOTED BY THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE ARAB INTELLCTUALS AND 
CAN REALLY BE CONSIDERED AS THE JOKE OF THE YEAR THAT NO SANE 
INDIVIDUAL WILL BUY.  THOSE WHO BELIEVE THIS ARE DELUDED. ARAB 
POLICIES ARE GOOD ONLY WITH KICK ASS." 
 
SISON