US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1092

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001092 
 
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:  OIC SUMMIT UAE INITIATIVE 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE OIC SUMMIT IN DOHA RECEIVED PRIMARY AND 
EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL MEDIA.  NEWS REPORTING AND 
EDITORIALS STRESSED THAT THE ISSUE OF PALESTINE SHOULD ALSO BE A 
MAIN CONCERN OF THIS SUMMIT.  EDITORIALS CONDEMNED ARAB AND 
MUSLIM ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE.  AN "AL 
ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL STRONGLY CRITICIZED THE ARAB SUMMIT'S RESPONSE 
TO THE UAE INITIATIVE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON THE OIC SUMMIT IN DOHA, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI- 
GOVERNMENT "AL-ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/05: 
 
"... THE OIC SUMMIT IN DOHA COMES RIGHT AFTER THE ARAB SUMMIT, 
WHICH DID NOT ADD ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE CRISIS THAT FACES THE 
ARAB AND ISLAMIC WORLDS.  THE SUMMIT ALSO DID NOT DEAL PROPERLY 
WITH THE ONLY INITIATIVE (THE UAE'S INITIATIVE) THAT AIMS TO END 
THE CRISIS WE ARE ALL FACING.  THIS INITIATIVE STATED CLEARLY THE 
IMPORTANCE OF TAKING A UNIFIED AND COURAGEOUS STAND, FAR FROM ANY 
CONTROVERSY, IN ORDER TO SAVE THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND LANDS FROM ANY 
CONSPIRACIES THAT THREATEN ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE ... WILL THE 
OIC SUMMIT REACH THE LEVEL OF CHALLENGES IT FACES, OR WILL IT 
REMAIN LIKE ANY OTHER ARAB AND ISLAMIC SUMMIT?" 
 
3.  ASSERTING THE OIC SUMMIT'S OBLIGATION TOWARDS THE PALESTINIAN 
CAUSE, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/05: 
 
"... THE OIC SUMMIT IN DOHA SHOULD ALSO BE CONCERNED WITH THE 
PALESTINIAN CAUSE SINCE IT IS AN ARAB AND ISLAMIC CAUSE.  THIS 
SUMMIT SHOULD REALIZE THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PALESTINIAN 
LANDS WITH NO ARABIC OR ISLAMIC REACTION WILL LEAD TO A CRISIS 
WORSE THAN THAT WHICH OCCURRED IN 1948 ... THE ACTS OF SHARON'S 
CABINET TO KILL THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE AND PEOPLE HAVE REACHED A 
VERY CRUCIAL LEVEL ..." 
 
4.  DESCRIBING THE ROLE OF THE U.S. IN THE PALESTINIAN CRISIS, 
DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/05: 
 
"... THE U.S. IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PALESTINE 
SINCE IT IS THE COUNTRY THAT HAS THE AUTHORITY IN THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL.  WHENEVER THE WORLD COMMUNITY WAKES UP TO MAKE ISRAEL 
ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS DEEDS, THE U.S. THREATENS THIS WITH THE 
WEAPON OF ITS VETO.  IT IS SHAMEFUL FOR THE U.S. TO ASK ISRAEL 
ONLY FOR SELF-RESTRAINT IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT ISRAELI VIOLENCE 
AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS." 
 
5.  COMMENTING ON THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE, "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 3/04: 
 
"... HOW DO WE EXPECT ISRAEL TO CHANGE THE BLOODY POLICY SEEING 
THE INTERNATIONAL REACTION TOWARDS ITS KILLING OF UNARMED 
PALESTINIANS AS MERE STATEMENTS OF CONDEMNATIONS FROM POWERLESS 
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NO REAL EFFECT ON THE ISRAELI POLICY.  SINCE 
ISRAEL HAS THE APPROVAL AND FULL SUPPORT OF THE U.S. FOR KILLING 
PALESTINIAN CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND ELDERS WITH 'M-16'S PROVIDED BY 
THE U.S., ISRAEL DOES NOT CARE AND HAS NO RED LINES TO INVADE THE 
PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP AND MUSLIM HOLY SITES IN OCCUPIED 
JERUSALEM... IT IS NOT ONLY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S 
RESPONSIBILITY, BUT ALSO THAT OF THE ARABS..." 
 
6.  NOTING INCREASING SUPPORT FOR SHEIKH ZAYED'S INITIATIVE IN 
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, "AL-ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/04: 
 
"... WITH THE INCREASED VOICES REQUESTING A THOROUGH REVISION OF 
THE TECHNIQUES ADOPTED AT ARAB SUMMITS, WHICH USUALLY ONLY LEAD 
TO FURTHER DIFFERENCES ... IN THE LATEST SUMMIT, THE UAE 
INITIATIVE IS THE ONLY HOPE LEFT FOR ARABS TO DEAL WITH THEIR 
PROBLEMS IN AN OBJECTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE WAY, FAR FROM THE 
TYPICAL COURTEOUS BEHAVIOR FOR WHICH THE ARAB PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 
PAYING A DEAR PRICE ..." 
 
7.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE,"  ENGLISH-DAILY, 
DUBAI-BASED GULF NEWS EDITORIALIZED ON 03/05: 
 
"IRAQ IS DELIBERATELY TRYING THE PATIENCE OF THE HAWKS IN THE 
AMERICAN AND BRITISH ADMINISTRATIONS, WHICH IS A DANGEROUS THING 
TO DO AT SUCH AS SENSITIVE TIME.  THE MAJORITY OF WORLD OPINION 
IS SIDED WITH THE IRAQI PEOPLE, WAR IS NOT A PLEASANT THING TO 
CONTEMPLATE AND MERELY ILLUSTRATES THE INABILITY OF THE SO-CALLED 
CIVILIZED SOCIETY TO RESOLVE THEIR DISPUTES ...  IT SEEMS HISTORY 
TEACHES US NOTHING ...  THE ARGUMENT FOR GOING TO WAR HAS NOT 
BEEN MADE:  THE PUBLIC REMAINS UNCONVINCED.  ALTERNATIVE 
SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED, THEY SHOULD BE EXAMINED FIRST, 
BEFORE ANY RUSH TO WAR." 
 
WAHBA