US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1481

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001481 
 
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 SILAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: Public Affairs 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAN, THE SUPERPOWERS, AND PALESTINE 
 
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Dangerous Games 
--------------- 
 
1. The privately owned Arabic daily "al-Watan" published an 
editorial entitled "Could the Tug Of War Succeed In Politics?" on 
October 1: 
 
"The tug of war between the West and the Islamic Republic of Iran 
over Tehran's nuclear program seems dangerous, but it might 
actually be a successful policy.  Iran is holding a number of 
cards which it can play in the international political game.  The 
most significant of these cards is the threat to stop oil 
production, leading to a hike in prices.  Iran has also taken the 
daring step of declaring that it will not keep silent towards any 
country that exhibits aggression against the Iranian people or 
territory.  In addition, Washington is well aware that Iran can 
pose a direct threat to American soldiers, particularly those 
operating in Iraq.  These factors mean that the weaker parties 
will be able to balance the stronger parties in a tug of war." 
 
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Freedom From Weapons 
-------------------- 
 
2. "Oman," the government-owned Arabic daily, ran an editorial on 
September 30 entitled "The Interests of the Superpowers": 
 
"The Arabs have repeatedly called for keeping the Middle East as 
a nuclear weapons-free area.  Rather than heeding these calls, 
the U.S. and other Western countries have focused on the nuclear 
programs in Iran and North Korea, while ignoring Israel's nuclear 
capability.  The interests of the superpowers will always lie in 
keeping Israel as a strong state, well-equipped with the best 
weapons, despite the fact that Tel Aviv's aggression against the 
Palestinian people over the past 50 years makes it one of the 
bloodiest states in modern history...  The International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) does not possess the power to establish a 
nuclear arms-free zone in Asia, but it would be a great benefit 
to the whole world and to future generations of the Middle East 
could be kept free of such weapons." 
 
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Five-Year Anniversary 
--------------------- 
 
3. On October 2, "al-Watan" featured an editorial under the 
headline "Five Years Of The al-Aqsa Upheaval": 
 
"One of the lessons of the five-year-old intifadha is that even 
in an unbalanced fight, the use of force can sometimes hurt the 
enemy.  History shows that wars of national liberation are won by 
inflicting damage upon the invaders and occupiers.  However, 
there are certain and specific conditions for this use of force. 
First, it should serve a political goal, and second, it should be 
unanimously accepted by all local factions.  In the Palestinian 
case, this means that all the Palestinian factions should come to 
an agreement specifying a common method of struggle that serves 
strategic and political goals." 
 
BALTIMORE