US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI946

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000946 
 
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, POSTURING AT THE UN SECURITY 
COUNCIL, AND THE UAE AT THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT CONFERENCE 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  COVERAGE RELATED TO IRAQ CONTINUED TO GENERATE 
PROMINENT COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL MEDIA.  UAE DAILIES LARGELY 
COVERED UAE'S PARTICIPATION AT THE NAM CONFERENCE AND ITS CALL 
FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL UNSC RESOLUTIONS REGARDING IRAQ AND 
PALESTINE.  EDITORIALS CONTINUED TO LAUD THE FRENCH-GERMAN 
POSITION AT THE UN AND CRITICIZE ARAB INACTION IN THE FACE OF AN 
IMPENDING ATTACK ON IRAQ.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON ARAB, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, AND GERMAN ATTITUDES 
TOWARDS THE ANTICIPATED WAR ON IRAQ, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/26: 
 
"...  STOPPING THE BLOODSHED OF IRAQIS, PALESTINIANS, OR EVEN 
ARABS IN GENERAL IS ONE OF THE DEFINITE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ARAB 
COUNTRIES.  THE FRENCH-RUSSIAN-GERMAN POSITION REGARDING THIS 
ISSUE WILL NOT BE PRODUCTIVE IF NOT BACKED WITH A SINCERE ARAB 
STAND.  THIS SHOULD BE THE ROLE OF AN ARAB SUMMIT DURING THIS 
CRITICAL PHASE." 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON ARAB ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ANTICIPATED WAR ON 
IRAQ, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 
2/26: 
 
"...  THE ARAB SUMMIT (WHICH NO ONE KNOWS WILL SEE THE LIGHT OR 
NOT) FACES OPPOSITION AND CONFLICT AMONG ITS MEMBERS EVEN BEFORE 
IT OCCURS.  THIS IS A CONFLICT AMONG THE HANDICAPPED.  THEREFORE, 
WHETHER THE SUMMIT TAKES PLACE OR NOT, WHETHER IT'S POSTPONED OR 
NOT, WILL NOT AFFECT OR CHANGE THE CURRENT SITUATION, SINCE ARABS 
LACK THE POWER OR THE WILL TO MAKE A DECISION.  THEY HAVE ALREADY 
ABANDONED THEIR WILLPOWER AND EVEN THEIR DIGNITY.  WHAT IS 
HAPPENING NOW IS MERELY (LIKE) 'PLAYING IN OVERTIME.'" 
 
4.  NOTING A U.S. DOUBLE STANDARD ON ISRAEL'S USE OF HUMAN 
SHIELDS IN PALESTINE VERSUS SADDAM'S CALL FOR HUMAN SHIELDS IN 
IRAQ, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/25: 
 
"... THE ISRAELI CRIMES COMMITTED IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE WORLD ARE 
CONSIDERED SELF DEFENSE ACTIONS BY THE U.S., WHICH SUPPORTS THE 
ATTACKS ... THE AMERICAN ATTITUDE HERE IS NOT SURPRISING, 
ESPECIALLY AFTER THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE 
WORLDWIDE ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY ARE NOT AN 
ISSUE TO WORRY ABOUT.  THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS 
DEFENDING THE IRAQI PEOPLE A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, WHEREAS 
CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST PALESTINIANS ARE HUMANE ACTIONS 
DESERVING PRESIDENT BUSH'S NOMINATION OF SHARON FOR A NOBLE PEACE 
PRIZE ... ERASING A SEVEN-THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD CIVILIZATION IS YET 
ANOTHER TECHNIQUE ADOPTED BY AMERICA.  BUSH COMPARES ARABS TO 
'RED INDIANS' AND BELIEVES THEY SHOULD BE DEMOLISHED WHEREVER 
THEY ARE FOUND." 
 
5.  DESCRIBING AN AMERICAN INTENTION TO DOMINATE THE WORLD, DR. 
MOHAMMED ALI AL-FARRA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT 
"AL-ITTIHAD" 2/25: 
 
"IT'S A BIG MISTAKE TO THINK THAT THE REASONS BEHIND THE GULF WAR 
AGAINST IRAQ IN 1991 WERE ITS OCCUPATION OF KUWAIT IN 1990, OR 
THAT THE INTENTIONS OF THE ANTICIPATED WAR AGAINST IRAQ ARE 
DISARMING IT OF WMD AND CHANGING ITS REGIME.  THE TRUE REASONS 
ARE PART OF A LARGER SCENARIO THAT DATES BACK TO THE 1973 WAR ... 
THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS WHAT IT CALLS 'SAFE HAVENS 
FOR TERRORISM' OR 'ROGUE STATES' AS MOST PROBABLY THE SAME MAIN 
POWER RESOURCES IN THE WORLD, WHICH LATELY INCLUDES VENEZUELA 
SINCE IT IS THE LAREGST OIL-PRODUCING NATION IN THE WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE ...  THE MAP OF THE OIL AND GAS LINES IN THE REGION 
CONNECT THE BALKANS WITH AFGHANISTAN, WHICH EXPLAINS AMERICA'S 
INTERFERENCE IN KOSOVO'S WAR WHICH WAS NOT (AS THOUGHT BY MANY) 
TO SUPPORT MUSLIMS.  ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PETROLEUM PIPELINES 
TO WESTERN EUROPE MUST GO THROUGH THE BALKANS.  THERE WAS A 
SUGGESTION TO HAVE A LINE STARTING FROM BURGAS IN BULGARIA 
THROUGH SKOPJE IN MACEDONIA TO VLORE SEAPORT IN ALBANIA.  A HUGE 
AMERICAN MILITARY BASE 'BOND STEEL CAMP' WAS ESTABLISHED DURING 
THE YEAR 1999 SOUTH OF KOSOVO, WHICH WAS RUN BY AN OIL COMPANY 
MANAGED BY U.S. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY." 
 
6.  DISCUSSING WORLD OPINION OF THE U.S., "AL BAYAN" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/24: 
 
"ALL INDICATIONS IN THE WORLD, SUCH AS THE PROTESTS OF SEVEN 
MILLION PEOPLE IN OVER 600 CITIES A WEEK AGO, PUBLIC OPINION 
OPPOSING WASHINGTON'S POLICIES, AND THE SITUATION FACING THE U.S. 
IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AS THE MAJORITY OF THE 15-MEMBER 
COUNCIL ARE AGAINST WAR, CONFIRM WITH NO DOUBT THAT WORLD PUBLIC 
OPINION OPPOSED U.S. POLICIES.  ALL THESE REASONS ILLUSTRATE AN 
INTERNATIONAL OPINION THAT IS ANTI-WAR ... THE IMAGE OF THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT IS GETTING WORSE DAY AFTER DAY FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF 
ITS CREDIBILITY.  THE MOST RECENT PUBLIC OPINION POLLS PUBLISHED 
IN THE SUNDAY TIMES, A BRITISH NEWSPAPER, SAY THAT HALF OF THE 
BRITISH PEOPLE CONSIDER BUSH A BIG THREAT TO PEACE IN THE WORLD. 
ALSO, 47 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION VIEW THE U.S. AS A DOMINATING 
POWER WHILE (IN A SEPARATE POLL) 54 PERCENT DO NOT EVEN LIKE IT." 
 
WAHBA