US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1711

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001711 
 
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; NSC 
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 ON IRAQ KILLING OF JOURNALISTS 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  UAE MEDIA DEVOTED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO ATTACKS ON 
THE MEDIA INSIDE BAGHDAD WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS FOR THE AL-JAZEERA 
AND ABU DHABI TV OFFICES AND PERSONNEL.  "AL-ITTIHAD" OPINED THAT 
THE ATTACK OPENS THE DOOR FOR ALLEGATIONS OF AN AMERICAN DESIRE 
TO SILENCE THE VOICE OF TRUTH IN THE WAR.  ALONG THIS LINE, AN 
"AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT THE U.S. TARGETED THE ARAB 
MEDIA TO COVER ITS PLANS TO COMMIT A MASSACRE TO ACHIEVE ITS 
GOALS IN IRAQ.  AN "AL-BAYAN" COLUMNIST ASSERTED THAT THE U.S. IS 
RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL WARS IN THE REGION IN ITS EFFORTS TO CONTROL 
REGIONAL RESOURCES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "HAS THE WAR AGAINST REALITY BEGUN?," 
SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 4/9: 
 
"... IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT THE WAR PROMISED AS A CLEAN 
WAR HAS KILLED A LARGE NUMBER OF JOURNALISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS 
WITH MANY OTHERS WOUNDED ... THE TRAGIC BLOODY SCENE OF THE 
JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD YESTERDAY OPENS THE DOOR FOR MANY 
ALLEGATIONS ABOUT A DESIRE TO SILENCE THE VOICE OF TRUTH AND 
PREVENT THE HEROIC JOURNALISTS IN THE BATTLEFIELD IN BAGHDAD FROM 
TRANSMITTING WHAT HAPPENS AND WHAT TRAGEDIES MIGHT OCCUR AS THE 
WAR ENTERS ITS DECISIVE STAGE IN THE STREETS OF THE IRAQI 
CAPITAL." 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS TO HIDE THE 
CRIME," SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 
4/9: 
 
"... TARGETING JOURNALISTS IN BESIEGED BAGHDAD, UNDER FIRE THIS 
VERY HOUR, IS A NEW CRIME THAT MUST BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF 
CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE AGGRESSION (COALITION FORCES).  IT 
REPRESENTS PART OF THE LARGER CRIME COMMITTED AGAINST THE ARAB 
PEOPLE OF IRAQ BEFORE THE ENTIRE WORLD ... A MASSACRE NEEDS TO BE 
COMMITTED TO ALLOW THE AGGRESSION TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS IN IRAQ. 
THIS MASSACRE NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN COMPLETE DARKNESS, AND 
THIS EXPLAINS WHY ALL LIGHTS MUST BE SWITCHED OFF TO AVOID 
FURTHER SCANDALS ..." 
 
4.  AN EDITORIAL IN DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY 
"AL-BAYAN" NOTED 4/9: 
 
"... IT IS REGRETTABLE TO SEE THE AMERICAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN, 
FRANK THORPE TELL CNN THAT "WE HAVE TOLD THEM FROM THE BEGINNING 
THAT BAGHDAD HAS BECOME A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE, A WAR ZONE.' 
THIS STATEMENT REVEALS THE FACTS BEHIND THE WAR OPERATIONS.  THE 
SHELLING DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION UNARMED CIVILIANS, A 
FACT REVEALING THE HIDDEN FACE OF THE WAR.  NO ONE CAN DENY THAT 
WHAT HAPPENED WAS DELIBERATE TO HIDE REALITY AND STOP ANY 
REVELATION OF WHAT IS OCCURRING IN IRAQ." 
 
5.  THE DIRECTOR OF DUBAI MUNICIPALITY QASSEM SULTAN WROTE IN HIS 
WEEKLY "AL-BAYAN" COLUMN 4/9: 
 
"... IN THE FIRST WAR, AMERICA WANTED TO ELIMINATE THE (TWO) 
REGIONAL POWERS, IRAN WITH ITS AMERICAN ARMS AND MILITARY MIGHT 
FROM THE SHAH, AND IRAQ WITH ITS DEVELOPED WEAPONS AND ADVANCED 
INTELLIGENCE CULTIVATED BY THE U.S.  IN THE SECOND WAR, AMERICA 
WANTED TO COMPLETE ITS ROLE IN CONTROLLING THE REGION AND ITS 
RESOURCES BY PLACING ITSELF AS A SPONSOR OF THE PEOPLE'S 
INTERESTS.  HOWEVER, ALL INDICATIONS PROVE THAT THIS WAR WAS 
PLANNED YEARS AGO BY ZIONIST HANDS ... (SUCH AS) THE ZIONIST 
RICHARD PEARLE, THE FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER'S ADVISOR ... 
WILL AMERICA AND BRITAIN LEAVE IRAQ AND ITS RESOURCES AFTER THESE 
TROOPS HAVE ARRIVED HERE?  SOME OF THEIR EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT 
SUCH A WEALTH IS THEIRS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BEST OF MANKIND, AND 
THEREFORE, THEY CAN NOT ALLOW THESE UNDEVELOPED PEOPLE TO CONTROL 
IT." 
 
WAHBA