US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1479

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001479 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
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:  WAR IN IRAQ CIVILIAN CASUALTIES 
HUMANATARIAN AID DEMONSTRATIONS IN DUBAI 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE WAR IN IRAQ, IRAQI CIVILIAN CAUSALITIES, AND 
HUMANITARIAN AID DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA.  UAE PRINT 
DAILIES ALSO COVERED ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS IN DUBAI, VARIOUS 
ARAB CAPITALS, AND AROUND THE WORLD.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" ARTICLE 
EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR ARABS TO REALIZE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE 
WAR IN IRAQ.  ANOTHER "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL DESCRIBED THE WAR IN 
IRAQ AS THE NEW "MONGOL MASSACRES."  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON THE UN'S ROLE IN MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL 
PRESSURE TO STOP THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS CREATED BY THE WAR, ABU 
DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 3/29: 
 
"...AT THIS TIME, AN ESSENTIAL QUESTION ARISES:  WHY DID ALL 
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS AND ATTEMPTS TO STOP THIS WAR CEASE?  WHERE 
IS THE UN, THE CHARTER OF WHICH CALLS FOR ENSURING WORLD PEACE? 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY STILL HAS A ROLE WHICH SHOULD BE 
PERFORMED AND ACTIVATED." 
 
3.  ALLEGING THE REAL REASONS BEHIND THE WAR ON IRAQ ARE OIL AND 
PROTECTING ISRAEL, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 3/29: 
 
"AMERICAN AND BRITISH OFFICIALS CLAIM TO HAVE ACHIEVED TWO 
POSITIVE OUTCOMES:  SECURING THE OIL FIELDS IN THE SOUTH AND 
SECURING THE WESTERN FRONT TO PREVENT THE TARGETING OF ISRAEL 
WITH MISSILES ... THE REAL REASONS BEHIND THIS WAR ARE BOTH THE 
PROTECTION OF ISRAEL AND IRAQ'S OIL WEALTH AND NOTHING ELSE." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE RESIGNATION OF RICHARD PERLE, UAE COLUMNIST 
AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" ON 
3/29: 
 
"... CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE ALLIES SEEM TO BE LOOMING.  THE FIRST 
TO FALL OUT ... WAS THE PRIME MINISTER OF SPAIN, JOSE MARIA 
AZNAR, WHO IS WIDELY HATED BY THE SPANISH PEOPLE AND RIDICULED BY 
PARLIAMENT.  AZNAR AND PERLE ARE NOT THE FIRST VICTIMS AND ARE 
NOT THE FIRST NAILS IN THIS EMPIRE'S COFFIN." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "FACING THE TRUTH," UAE COLUMNIST DR. 
MOHAMED IDREES WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 3/29: 
 
"... THEY ARE GOING TO DESTROY IRAQ WHILE HAVING THEIR EYES ON 
PALESTINE AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES.  COLIN POWELL STATED THIS 
WHEN HE SAID THAT THE U.S. IS COMING INTO IRAQ IN ORDER TO FORCE 
SOME CHANGES IN THE REGION TO SERVE AMERICAN INTERESTS AND HE DID 
NOT FORGET TO MENTION ISRAEL'S 'PEACE' AS A PRIORITY.  THE LOSS 
OF IRAQ IS JUST THE BEGINNING AND NOT THE END.  AND WITHOUT AN 
ARAB ROLE THAT COULD SAY 'NO' TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ, THE 
ARABS WILL NEVER REALIZE WHERE AND WHEN IS THE END, SINCE THEY 
ALREADY LOST THE BEGINNING." 
 
6.  COMMENTING ON RECENT STATEMENTS ABOUT ISRAEL AND THE 
PALESTINIANS BY UK FOREIGN MINISTER JACK STRAW, ABU DHABI-BASED 
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 3/27: 
 
"... THE STATEMENT ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH, IT HAS TO BE ACCOMPANIED 
BY ACTIONS IN ORDER TO RESTORE DIGNITY TO THE VICTIM AND TO 
PUNISH THE TORMENTOR ... THE WESTERN COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE 
REPEATEDLY WISHED TO SOLVE THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT 
ACCORDING TO THE ROADMAP PROPOSED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH, OF 
TWO STATES LIVING TOGETHER IN PEACE, ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE AHEAD 
AND FORCE ISRAEL TO ACCEPT THE FAIT ACCOMPLI WILLINGLY OR 
UNWILLINGLY.  ONLY THEN WILL A HALF CENTURY OF INJUSTICE IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST BE RECOGNIZED." 
 
7.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE NEW MONGOL MASSACRES," "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 3/27: 
 
"... WHOEVER IS ADDICTED TO COVERING UP FOR THE CRIMINALS WHO 
COMMIT THE MASSACRES AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS, WILL DEFINITELY 
COMMIT THE SAME.  WHOEVER WANTS HIS COMPANIES TO BENEFIT WILL 
RESORT TO DESTRUCTION IN ORDER TO AN CREATE APPROPRIATE 
FOUNDATION FOR RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS ... THE NEW MONGOL 
NIGHTMARE HAS SPREAD TO ALL ARAB COUNTRIES AND EVERYONE IS MERELY 
AN ONLOOKER.  THESE NEW MONGOLS WILL NOT BE SATISFIED WITH IRAQ 
ONCE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO SWALLOW IT." 
 
8.  UNDER THE OP-ED HEADLINE, "A BARGAIN OVER A NATION," 
INFLUENTIAL UAE BUSINESSMAN KHALAF AL HABTOOR WROTE IN EXPATRIATE- 
ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS ON 3/29: 
 
"NOBODY CAN CLAIM THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 
THE ARAB WORLD.  THIS IS FATE CREEPING AT US VERY QUICKLY AND WE 
CAN'T STOP IT.  IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO ASK THIS QUESTION ... 
ESPECIALLY SINCE SOME GOVERNMENTS ARE REJECTING THE PROBLEMS OF 
THEIR PEOPLE.  EXCEPT THE EMIRATES EXPERIMENT ... THERE IS NO 
EVIDENCE IN OUR ARAB WORLD THAT WE HAVE LEADERS WHO GIVE PRIORITY 
TO THEIR NATIONS OVER THEMSELVES ... AND SOME ARAB LEADERS ACT 
LIKE THAT BEDOUIN WHO COVERED HIS HEAD AND SAID:  NOTHING MATTERS 
AS FAR AS I AND MY CAMEL ARE SAFE!" 
WAHBA