US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI784

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000784 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/RA, INR 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  IRAQ 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  UAE MEDIA EXTENSIVELY COVERED INTERNATIONAL 
PROTESTS AND REACTION AGAINST A MILITARY STRIKE IN IRAQ.  LOCAL 
AND REGIONAL MEDIA CRITICIZED WHAT THEY CALLED A WEAK ARAB STANCE 
TOWARDS THE CURRENT CRISIS.  "AL ITTIHAD" CRITICIZES U.S. PLANS 
TO CONTROL THE MIDDLE EAST, NOTING THIS IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY 
INTERNATIONAL LAW.  SIMILARLY, AN "AL BAYAN" EDITORIAL ARGUES THE 
INCREASING INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION TO A U.S.-LED ATTACK ON IRAQ 
INDICATES A REJECTION OF U.S. EFFORTS TO DOMINATE THE REGIONAL 
AND CONTINUE ITS VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.  "AL KHALEEJ" 
ARGUES THAT U.S. ISOLATION IS INCREASING DAILY AND PROVES THAT 
THE WORLD WILL NOT BE A HOSTAGE TO THE CURRENT PLANS OF THE U.S. 
ADMINISTRATION.  ANOTHER "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL ARGUES THAT THE 
ARABS MUST SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND JOIN THE ORGANIZED 
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS 
DRING THE UPCOMING REGIONAL SUMMIT.  FINALLY, A SEPARATE "AL 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL URGES ARABS TO SAY "NO TO WAR." END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  CRITICIZING U.S. PLANS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, ABU DHABI-BASED 
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/10: 
 
"... THE AMERICAN GOALS EXCEED IRAQ.  THE U.S. PLAYS A ROLE WHICH 
CONFLICTS WITH THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION.  WHO 
GIVES THE U.S. THE RIGHT TO CONTROL COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST 
AND RE-ARRANGE THEM?  WE FIRMLY SAY THAT THERE IS NO LAW THAT 
JUSTIFIES WHAT IS HAPPENING.   IT IS FAIR TO ASK WHERE IS YOUR 
CLAIMED FOR DEMOCRACY WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO REARRANGE THE 
MIDDLE EAST WITHOUT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE INTERESTS OF ITS 
PEOPLE AND WHEN YOU DECLARE THAT THE TARGET OF THE REARRANGEMENT 
IS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN INTERESTS.  AMID THE NOISE AND DRUMS OF 
WAR, WE HEAR ABOUT THE INTENTION TO OCCUPY IRAQ AND STAY FOR A 
LONG TIME AFTER TURNING IT INTO AN AMERICAN AND BRITISH COLONY. 
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTED BY ANY ARAB OR MUSLIM.  IRAQ IS NOT 
AFGHANISTAN, AND IF THERE IS OCCUPATION, ARABS AND MUSLIMS WILL 
HAVE ONE STANCE AND SAY ONE WORD ... WE STRESS THAT THERE IS 
STILL A CHANCE FOR PEACE AND THE CRISIS COULD BE SOLVED 
PEACEFULLY.  WE MUST HEAR THE VOICE OF WISE PEOPLE IN FRANCE, 
GERMANY, AND EUROPE CALLING FOR PEACE AND MORE PATIENCE BECAUSE 
THE MISSION OF THE WMD INSPECTORS HAS NOT FAILED YET, AND IRAQ IS 
COOPERATING WITH THEM ..." 
 
3.  ASSUMING THAT THE U.S. LACKS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ITS 
WAR ON IRAQ, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/10: 
 
"... ONCE AGAIN THE U.S. DOES NOT HAVE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR 
ITS PLANS IN IRAQ.  IT WILL BE A DISASTER IF THE U.S. GOES TO WAR 
ALONE, IGNORING THE U.N.  THIS HAS ONE EXPLANATION ONLY, I.E., 
THAT THE U.S. IS PLAYING THE ROLE OF A NEW IMPERIAL POWER TRYING 
TO DOMINATE OTHERS, AND CONSEQUENTLY VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL 
LAWS." 
 
4.  PRAISING THE FRENCH-RUSSIAN-GERMAN INITIATIVE, "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/12: 
 
"... EFFORTS EXERTED BY FRANCE, RUSSIA, GERMANY, AND OTHER 
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MUST BE TREATED WELL AS THEY MAY LEAD TO GOOD 
RESULTS.  THEY ALSO MUST BE TREATED CAREFULLY AS SOME MAY 
CONSIDER THEM AS A SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WRONG PEOPLE.  HOWEVER, 
THEY ARE A NEW CHANCE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY EVEN IF THE THERE IS 
LITTLE HOPE." 
 
5.  DESCRIBING THE CONFLICT INSIDE NATO AS A REAL CRISIS BETWEEN 
WASHINGTON AND ITS ALLIES, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/13: 
 
"... ARAB COUNTRIES MUST, IN THESE CRITICAL MOMENTS, TAKE THE 
OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE FRENCH-GERMAN EFFORTS (FOR A PEACEFUL 
RESOLUTION) AND BECOME A PRESSING FORCE TO STOP THE AMERICAN 
DRIVE TOWARDS AN AGGRESSION BRINGING DISASTERS FOR ARABS IF IT 
HAPPENS." 
 
6.  COMMENTING ON THE DISCUSSION INSIDE THE UNSC AND THE 
WORLDWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST A U.S.-LED WAR ON IRAQ, "AL 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/16: 
 
"... THE U.S. ISOLATION INCREASED DURING THE LAST TWO DAYS.  THE 
WORLD PROVES THAT IT IS NOT A HOSTAGE TO THE AMERICAN 
ADMINISTRATION AND ITS PLANS.  IT ALSO PROVES THAT IT IS READY TO 
RESIST THOSE PLANS.  THE ARABS MUST JOIN THIS PARADE IN THEIR 
NEXT SUMMIT." 
 
7.  IN ANOTHER EDITORIAL, "AL KHALEEJ" SAID ON 2/15: 
 
"... THE U.S.-BRITISH-ISRAELI WAR AGAINST IRAQ WILL AFFECT ALL 
ARABS.  THUS, THE TITLE OF THE AWAITED REGIONAL SUMMIT MUST BE 
'NO TO WAR' IN THE REGION." 
 
8.  ARGUING THAT THERE IS A FISSURE IN THE ALLIANCE OF WAR 
SUPPORTERS, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/16: 
 
"... THE ARABS - WHO ARE EXPECTED TO HOLD THEIR SUMMIT NEXT WEEK 
- MUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND JOIN THE ORGANIZED INTERNATIONAL 
EFFORTS HOPING TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION FOR THE CRISIS, 
PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE IRAQI REGIME TO COMPLY WITH THE U.N. 
RESOLUTIONS, AND PLACING THE INTEREST OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE OVER 
ANY PERSONAL INTERESTS." 
 
9.  CRITICIZING THE SILENCE OF ARABS, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB 
"AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/14: 
 
"... UNDOUBTEDLY, THE ARABS WILL BE THE NEXT TARGET OF AN ATTACK 
FOLLOWING THE OCCUPATION AND DESTRUCTION OF IRAQ.  WASHINGTON IS 
NOT KEEPING THIS A SECRET ANYMORE.  IT TALKS IN PUBLIC ABOUT 
REDRAWING THE MIDDLE EAST MAP IN A WAY TO SERVE AMERICAN AND THEN 
ISRAELI INTERESTS." 
 
WAHBA