US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1783

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001783 
 
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:  FALL OF TIKRIT SYRIA IS NEXT U.S. 
MOTIVES FOR WAR 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE FALL OF TIKRIT TO COALITION FORCES, THE IN 
IRAQI CITIES, AND USG WARNINGS TO SYRIA DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE 
MEDIA.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ALLEGED THAT IRAQ WAS FIRST BUT 
SYRIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES ARE NEXT.  AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL 
COMMENTED ON SADDAM'S TORTURE CHAMBERS BUT NOTED THAT THEY ARE 
ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.  DR. ANWAR GHARGHASH IN "AL ITTIHAD" 
DECLARED THAT THE WAR IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR ARABS TO 
CHANGE THEIR RECENT HISTORY OF HYPOCRISY, CORRUPTION, OPPRESSION, 
AND SETBACKS.  IN A RARE OP-ED, UAE NATIONAL GULF NEWS EDITOR-IN- 
CHIEF ABDUL HAMID AHMAD PROCLAIMED THAT AUTHORITARIAN ARAB 
REGIMES MUST PURSUE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS AND STOP USING THE 
PALESTINIANS AS AN EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY THE REPRESSION OF THEIR 
PEOPLES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON THE ARAB CHANCE TO ELIMINATE THE BLACK STAINS 
IN ITS HISTORY, UAE NATIONAL DR. ANWAR GARGASH WROTE IN SEMI- 
OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" ON 4/14: 
 
"... OUR ARAB WORLD IS FACED WITH A HISTORICAL CHANCE THAT 
SYMBOLIZES THE END OF THE ARAB HISTORY AS WE KNOW IT - A HISTORY 
OF HYPOCRISY, CORRUPTION, OPPRESSION, AND SETBACKS DURING RECENT 
DECADES.  IT IS TIME TO REPLACE THE VOID SLOGANS AND ILLUSIONS 
THAT OCCURRED IN LOSING THE ARAB COMPASS, WITH A WORKING METHOD 
TO SANCTIFY HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO GUARANTEE POLITICAL RIGHTS AND A 
DECENT LIFE FOR EVERY ARAB." 
 
3.  DESCRIBING THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AS A "FIRE" THAT WILL SPREAD 
TO OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY SYRIA, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB 
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/14: 
 
"... EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK'S WARNING OF A CIVIL WAR IN 
IRAQ SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND DEALT WITH ... THE FIRE 
THREATENING THE REGION, STARTING WITH THE ONE IN IRAQ, OPENS THE 
DOOR TO FEARS THAT ARE NOT ELIMINATED WITH AMERICAN PROMISES AND 
REASSURANCES THAT WASHINGTON SHOWERS (US) WITH DEMOCRACY, 
DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE.  THE EVIL COMPANIES AND ISRAELI INTERESTS 
THAT CONTROL AMERICAN DECISIONS THAT REFUTE ALL RUMORS REGARDING 
THIS SITUATION ..." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON SADDAM'S TREATMENT OF HIS PEOPLE, "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 4/14: 
 
"... WHAT THE WORLD SAW IN THE VAULTS, SECRET TUNNELS, AND 
TORTURE EQUIPMENT IN THE HOUSES OF EVIL, IN ADDITION TO THE 
GRAVES, GROUP GRAVES, AND THE REMAINS OF UNKNOWN PEOPLE, IS ONLY 
THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG FLOATING ON THE SURFACE, MADE OF BODIES 
AND THE SUFFERING OF MILLIONS OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS.  THE SOULS 
OF THE VICTIMS ARE STILL FLYING OVER WHERE THEY WERE KILLED, AND 
THE ECHOES OF THE MOANS OF THE TORTURED STILL LOOM IN MANY 
HOUSES." 
 
5.  NOTING THAT THE WORLD IS ASKING THE COALITION FORCES TO END 
THE CHAOS IN IRAQ INSTEAD OF ENDING THEIR OCCUPATION, "AL- 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/13: 
 
"... THE ORGANIZED CHAOS IN IRAQI CITIES DURING THE LAST COUPLE 
OF DAYS IS ONLY BUT A DROP IN THE SEA OF THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE, 
IN WHICH THE U.S. AND UK WANT IRAQ TO DROWN IN ORDER TO 
STRENGTHEN THEIR OCCUPATION ..." 
 
6.  CRITICIZING THE ARAB POLICY TOWARDS IRAQ AND COMPARING IT TO 
THE FRENCH POLICY, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/13: 
 
"... THE ARAB LEAGUE AND ARAB COUNTRIES ARE REQUESTED TO MOVE 
TOWARDS PROTECTING NOT ONLY IRAQ AND SYRIA, BUT ALSO ALL ARAB 
COUNTRIES THAT MIGHT SOONER OR LATER FIND THEMSELVES AN AMERICAN 
TARGET ..." 
 
7.  COMMENTING ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, "AL-ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 4/13: 
 
"... REBUILDING A NEW IRAQ AFTER ALL THIS DESTRUCTION WILL NOT 
HAPPEN EXCEPT WITH THE HANDS OF ITS PEOPLE AND ON THE BASIS OF 
COOPERATION BETWEEN ALL POWERS AND POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND 
CULTURAL GROUPS IN THE IRAQI COMMUNITY.  THIS IS THE BATTLE FOR 
IRAQIS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE IRAQ." 
 
8.  IN A CLOSING STATEMENT IN "AL BAYAN," SALIM WROTE: 
 
"THE LOOTING THAT THE IRAQI CITIES ARE WITNESSING UNDER THE EYES 
AND EARS OF THE AMERICAN OCCUPYING FORCES IS DONE BY ROBBERS AND 
GANGS ... THIS REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOTTO OF LIBERATION 
ESPOUSED BY WASHINGTON TO JUSTIFY ITS ATTACKS AGAINST IRAQ.  THIS 
IS A LIBERATION OF IRAQI CITIES FROM SECURITY AND LEAVES THE 
THESE CITIES FOR ROBBERS TO LOOT, EXCEPT FOR THE MINISTRY OF 
PETROLEUM AND OIL REFINERIES AND WELLS, WHICH HAVE THEIR OWN 
LOOTERS WHO COME FROM OVERSEAS." 
 
9.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "THE IRAQI TREMOR AND ITS KEY LESSON FOR 
ALL,"  UAE NATIONAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABDUL HAMID AHMAD WROTE IN AN 
OP-ED IN EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" ON 4/14: 
"THE COLLAPSE OF THE IRAQI BA'ATH PARTY HAS LONG BEEN ANTICIPATED 
... THE REGIME SUPPRESSED FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN ECONOMIC, 
POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL FIELDS - IN FACT, ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE ... 
THE IRAQI EXPERIENCE IS SIMILAR TO THE EXPERIENCE OF ALGERIA, 
SYRIA, YEMEN, AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES RULED BY SUCH FORCES AND 
NATIONAL PARTIES THAT ARE CHARACTERIZED BY TOTALITARIANISM AND 
RULE BY ONE ... SINGLE PARTY MONOPOLY SUPPRESSES ALL TYPES OF 
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND ONLY LEADS TO THE SUFFOCATION OF 
PEOPLE, POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY.  THE (BA'ATH) PARTY'S ACTIONS 
AND THE MONOPOLY OF POWER BY AN UNQUALIFIED CLIQUE - EXCEPT FOR 
ITS INSATIABLE DESIRE TO TERRORISE IT OWN PEOPLE AND NEIGHBORS - 
IS A STRONG LESSON THAT ARABS SHOULD LEARN FROM." 
 
"... IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IS JUST AN EXCUSE 
FOR THESE REGIMES TO JUSTIFY THE REPRESSION OF THEIR PEOPLE AND 
THEIR MONOPOLY OF POWER.  IT IS AS IF PALESTINE CAN ONLY BE 
LIBERATED THROUGH REPRESSION SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE REGIMES HAVE 
CLAIMED DEMOCRACY WILL NOT ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, THIS DREAM." 
 
"WE SHOULD NOT START LOOKING FOR EXPLANATIONS AS TO WHY IT 
HAPPENED, BECAUSE DICTATORSHIPS CAN ONLY LEAD TO DESTRUCTION AS 
WAS THE CASE IN IRAQ ... THE TIME HAS COME FOR US ARABS TO 
REALIZE AND LEARN FROM WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN IRAQ." 
 
WAHBA