US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO650

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000650 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR, I/RW, I/REC; PA SA/INS (FOR JWALLER) 
DEPT ALSO FOR SA/PD (FOR LJIRWIN, LSCENSNY, WREINCKENS); SSA/PAB 
 
E.O. 12358:  N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OPRC, KMDR, OIIP, CE, External Relations 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA PLAY - IRAQ - 4/11/03 
 
 
1.  In Sri Lanka the 4/11 front pages anticipate -- and 
celebrate -- a conclusion to the conflict in Iraq.  They 
also ponder post-war scenarios.  "America to hoist flag of 
victory very soon" says a Sinhala daily.  "Pentagon 
studying whether to announce end of war" and "100 Iraqi 
tanks in American custody" says a Tamil front page. 
Another Tamil daily says "Mystery continues about Saddam's 
existence," while a third reports that "U.S. targets Syria 
for helping the Saddam family escape from Iraq."  In other 
reports regarding post-war scenarios an English daily says 
"Bush vows Iraqi people will regain control of Iraq" and a 
Tamil front page says "Saddam's reign in Iraq ends -- 
Efforts to establish Interim Administration." 
 
2.  Of the many front-page pix that accompanied these 
headlines pride of place is given to the destruction of 
Saddam statues.  "Slipper treatment to Saddam statue" reads 
a typical Sinhala caption, while an English caption says 
"U.S. Marine covers the face of a stature of ... Saddam ... 
with a U.S. flag." 
 
3.  Editorial comment continues to be scarce:  only one 
daily, the ISLAND (opposition English daily) comments. 
Under the headline "Post war challenges," the ISLAND 
wonders whether American post war policies will "win back 
the support and confidence of the rest of the world, 
particularly the Third World on which they would have to 
count ... in combating international terrorism...." 
Excerpts follow: 
 
"America may have grand designs for setting up a pro- 
western democratic regime in Iraq but this is an extremely 
difficult task.  Ruthless dictatorships of Saddam Hussein 
and those before him held the fractious Sunni, Shiite 
Muslims and the rebellious Kurds under one regime.  Whether 
an emergent democratic regime could hold the country 
together as the dictators did is much in doubt. 
 
"Even more important is American intentions.  Their 
continued presence in Iraq will be opposed not only by 
Iraqis but the entire Arab world.  The American-British 
triumph will be viewed by all Arabs as a defeat for Arabs 
and Islamic nations.  The Arab resentment could, as Hosni 
Mubarak said at the commencement of this war:  Produce a 
thousand bin Ladens. 
 
"Americans, however, are unlikely to bow out like good 
knights after having slain the dragon.  Already there is 
saber rattling in the Pentagon where the hawks are saying 
that what happened in Iraq is a good lesson for `rogue 
nations' like Syria, Iran and North Korea....  If the 
United States does target Syria and Iran ... the 
repercussions are unforeseeable. 
 
"If the Americans want to win back the support and 
confidence of the rest of the world, particularly the Third 
World on which they would have to count on in combating 
international terrorism, much would depend on their post 
war policies on Iraq." 
 
WILLS