US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1031

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001031 
 
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:  ARAB SUMMIT UAE PLAN FOR IRAQ 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE ARAB SUMMIT IN SHARM EL-SHEIKH RECEIVED PRIMARY 
AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL MEDIA.  NEWS REPORTING AND 
EDITORIALS CRITICIZED THE ARAB SUMMIT FOR NOT INCLUDING SHEIKH 
ZAYID'S PLAN FOR IRAQ IN ITS FINAL RESOLUTION.  EDITORIALS 
CRITICIZED THE ARAB LEADERS FOR NOT CONSIDERING OR DEBATING 
SHEIKH ZAYID'S PLAN FOR IRAQ AS A POSSIBLE WAY OUT OF THE CURRENT 
IMPASSE.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL STRONGLY CRITICIZED SECRETARY 
POWELL'S REQUEST OF THE ARAB SUMMIT TO ADVISE SADDAM TO SEEK 
EXILE AS A SHAMELESS DIPLOMATIC PLOY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  CRITICIZING ARAB ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE UAE'S INITIATIVE FOR 
IRAQ PRESENTED TO THE ARAB SUMMIT, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI- 
GOVERNMENT "AL-ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/02: 
 
"... ZAYED ADVISED THE ARAB LEADERS OF THE EXPECTED EARTHQUAKE, 
AND, WHILE IN DIRE NEED OF COUNSEL, THEY HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING ALL 
ADVICE DURING THE PREVIOUS DECADES, NOT REALIZING THE GRAVE 
CONCEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS, WHICH CAUSED ALL (PREVIOUS) CRISES 
IN THE FIRST PLACE ..." 
 
3.  REMARKING ON THE DECISIONS MADE AT AND THE U.S. ATTITUDE 
TOWARDS THE ARAB SUMMIT, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 3/02: 
 
"... GIVEN THE U.S. ATTITUDE OVERLOOKING THE INTERNATIONAL ANTI- 
WAR MOOD, AND ITS INSISTANCE ON CHANGING THE FACTS AS A 
JUSTIFICATION FOR ITS ATTACKS, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THEY WILL TAKE 
INTO CONSIDERATION THE DECISIONS MADE BY AN ARAB SUMMIT IN SHARM 
AL SHEIKH, WHILE REALIZING THAT THE ARABS WERE NEVER SERIOUS 
ABOUT ANY OF THEIR DECISIONS?" 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE UAE'S INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED TO THE ARAB 
SUMMIT, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 3/02: 
 
"...  THE UAE'S INITIATIVE CALLING ON SADDAM TO STEP DOWN AND 
LEAVE IRAQ WITH INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEES TO PROTECT HIS DIGNITY 
IS A PRICE THAT SHOULD BE PAID TO AVERT WAR AND IS THE CHEAPEST 
PRICE TO SAVE THE PEOPLE, THE COUNTRY, AND THE WHOLE REGION.  THE 
CONCEQUENCES OF ANY OTHER CHOICE ARE WELL-KNOWN BECAUSE THE U.S. 
IS DETERMINED ON PLAYING TO THE VERY END TO TOPPLE THE IRAQI 
REGIME." 
 
5.  COMMENTING ON THE ARAB SUMMIT AND THE AMERICAN DISDAIN FOR 
IT, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/01: 
 
"... THE IRAQIS ARE THREATENED BY ANOTHER 'TRANSFER' WHEN 
DISCUSSING THE EFFECTS OF THE ANTICIPATED BUSH-BLAIR WAR THAT 
COULD LEAD TO THE EMIGRATION OF TWO MILLION IRAQIS.  ACCORDING TO 
STATISTICS, IT MIGHT ALSO CAUSE THE DEATHS AND INJURIES OF 
ANOTHER MILLION AS A RESULT OF THE AMERICAN PLANS TO BOMB IRAQ 
WITH THOUSANDS OF MISSILES.  THE WHITE HOUSE IS PLANNING ON 
TRANSFORMING IRAQ FROM AN ARAB COUNTRY INTO AN AMERICAN TERRITORY 
IN THE HEART OF THE ARAB WORLD AND THEN APPLYING THIS "MODEL" IN 
THE REGION ... THE LEAST THAT COULD BE SAID ABOUT THE 
INSTRUCTIONS SUBMITTED TO THE ARAB SUMMIT BY COLIN POWELL, U.S. 
SECRETARY OF STATE, IS THAT IT REPRESENTS A SHAMELESS DIPLOMATIC 
 
SIPDIS 
PLOY TO IMPOSE CERTAIN OPINIONS ON THE SUMMIT.  THIS MUST URGE 
THE ARABS TO TAKE A STRONG STAND IN THE SUMMIT FOLLOWING U.S. 
DISDAIN OF ARABS AND ANYTHING THEY REPRESENT ... THE SUMMIT IS 
REQUESTED TO ASSERT TO THE U.S THAT THE ARABS HAVE REACHED A 
POINT WHERE THEY KNOW WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM.  WHAT IS REQUIRED 
IS A UNIFIED ARAB ATTITUDE AND NOT A RAMBLING STAND FED BY THE 
U.S TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS AND THOSE OF ISRAEL.  WITHOUT THIS, THE 
CHANCE WILL BE LOST, JUST AS OTHERS BEFORE IT, AND THERE WILL BE 
NO NEED FOR ANY SUMMITS SINCE THE U.S. WILL BE POSITIONED IN THE 
ARAB REGION CONTROLLING EVERYTHING.  THE CURRENT IRAQI CRISIS, 
AFTER THE PALESTINIAN CRISIS, WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR FURTHER 
CRISES IN THE REGION." 
 
6.  NOTING SADDAM'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ANTICIPATED WAR, EDITOR- 
IN-CHIEF OF "AL-BAYAN" KHALED MUHAMMAD AHMAD WROTE ON 3/01: 
 
"... AT A TIME WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND THE ARAB WORLD IN 
PARTICULAR, IS BUSY WITH THE ANTICIPATED U.S. WAR AGAINST IRAQ, 
IRAQI NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED 'SADDAM'S ORDERS' TO HIGHLY RANKED 
OFFICIALS AND SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS TO LOSE WEIGHT OR ELSE 
LOSE PART OF THEIR WAGES AND OTHER PRIVALAGES ... SADDAM HAS 
PUSHED THE ARABS INTO MANY WARS; THE WAR WITH IRAN WHICH ENDED 
WITH IRAQ'S DEFEAT, AND 'THE MOTHER OF ALL BATTLES' WHICH ENDED 
WITH THE COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF IRAQ.  HOW DOES SADDAM WANT TO END 
THIS THIRD WAR, WHICH SEEMS VERY IMMINENT?  ARABS ARE HELPLESS 
AND ARE EVEN UNABLE TO STOP IT!!" 
 
WAHBA