US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO629

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000629 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR, I/RW, I/REC; PA 
SA/INS (FOR JWALLER); SA/PD (LJIRWIN, LSCENSNY, 
WREINCKENS); SSA/PAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OPRC, KMDR, OIIP, CE, External Relations 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA PLAY:  IRAQ 
 
1. Sri Lankan front-page readers woke up to headlines 
describing the Iraqi regime's collapse and to photographs 
of coalition forces and Iraqi civilians enjoying each 
other's company.  English front pages ran headlines such as 
"Saddam's rule collapses in chaos," "Saddam's rule 
crumbles," and "U.S. forces welcomed in Baghdad."  The 
vernacular dailies mostly followed suit with "Saddam regime 
likely to collapse," "Iraqi people warmly greets American 
forces," and "No news of Saddam."  The stories were 
accompanied by pix of an "Iraqi civilian embracing an 
American soldier," "Iraqi man put flowers on the head of a 
U.S. marine," "Iraqis loot the house of a Baath party 
official," and, of course, the ubiquitous pix of the Saddam 
statue wrenched from its pedestal in Baghdad."  Only one of 
Sri Lanka's dozen dailies told a different story:  DIVAINA 
(an opposition Sinhala daily) reported "Horrible street 
fights between two forces even yesterday," while running a 
pix of three U.S. helicopters surveilling a palatial 
building in Baghdad. 
 
2. Although editorials continued to focus on other issues, 
an independent Sinhala daily, LAKBIMA, did comment on the 
"racket of rebuilding war torn Iraq."  Excerpts: 
 
"The U.S.'s attitude toward the UN Security Council is no 
secret.  America won't work very hard to get Security 
 
SIPDIS 
Council approval for a scheme to reconstruct Iraq.... 
 
"Is a retired American General going to take over in 
Saddam-less Iraq?  They say that he will be entrusted with 
the oil and responsible for humanitarian aid....  Many 
diplomats are skeptical ... and Arabs don't like it either. 
However, America has already appointed him...." 
 
Wills