US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1852

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001852 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; PA; IIP/G/NESA; NEA/EX; NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, TC 
SUBJECT:  GETTING THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT: WINNING 
MINDS, BUT NOT HEARTS 
 
REF:  SECSTATE 96192 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  TO GET THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT, THE 
ABU DHABI PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION ENGAGED KEY UAE MEDIA 
ON MULTIPLE LEVELS PRIOR TO AND DURING THE WAR.  PD 
EFFORTS INCLUDED INTENSIVE TARGETED OUTREACH WITH KEY 
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY MATERIALS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS 
WITH UAE NATIONALS, ARAB EXPATRIATES, AND LOCAL IRAQIS, 
AND AMBASSADORIAL PRESS ROUNDTABLES.  DUE TO WIDESPREAD 
ARAB OPPOSITION TO THE WAR, SUCCESS IN BUILDING SUPPORT 
FOR U.S. POLICY IN THE REGION WILL BE MEASURED BY WHAT 
WE DO IN THE FUTURE: HOW WELL WE ARE ABLE TO HELP BUILD 
A DEMOCRATIC IRAQ, MOVE THE PEACE PROCESS FORWARD, AND 
WITHDRAW OUR TROOPS FROM THE REGION.  WHILE GRAPHIC 
IMAGES ON TELEVISION AND IN PRINT MEDIA HAVE STOKED ANTI- 
AMERICAN FEELINGS, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR COLLECTIVE PD 
EFFORTS HAVE NONETHELESS HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON OUR 
AUDIENCES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  FOR THE LAST MONTH AND MORE, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS 
SECTION IN ABU DHABI ENGAGED KEY UAE MEDIA, ACADEMIC, 
AND GOVERNMENT INTERLOCUTORS IN A VARIETY OF MEANS, AND 
CONTINUES TO DO SO.  THESE EFFORTS SUPPORTED OBJECTIVE 
VOICES IN THE DEBATE AND HELPED PRESENT MORE BALANCED 
REPORTING.  THEY INCLUDED: 
 
- AMBASSADORIAL PRESS ROUNDTABLES WITH UAE ELECTRONIC 
AND PRINT MEDIA IN ABU DHABI AND DUBAI, WITH A 
PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE ARAB SATELLITE MEDIA; 
--INTENSIVE EFFORTS TO HELP ABU DHABI TV GET IMBEDDED 
WITH COALITION TROOPS AND GET ACCESS TO ACCURATE WAR 
FOOTAGE TO COUNTER AL-JAZEERA; 
- A NEW EMAIL LISTSERV THROUGH WHICH PAS DISSEMINATED 
KEY POLICY STATEMENTS, POSITIVE PHOTOGRAPHS, WASHINGTON 
FILE ARTICLES, AND OTHER PD ITEMS TO IMPORTANT MEDIA, 
GOVERNMENT, AND ACADEMIC CONTACTS DAILY; 
- AN SMS TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE THROUGH WHICH PAS 
NOTIFIED KEY CONTACTS OF ITEMS MENTIONED ABOVE; 
- FREQUENT MEETINGS BY PAS STAFF WITH KEY JOURNALISTS, 
IRAQI AND ARAB EXPATRIATES, UAE NATIONALS, AND OTHER 
INTERLOCUTORS TO DISCUSS PUBLIC OPINION AND TO SOLICIT 
INPUT ON HOW TO SHAPE OUR MESSAGE; 
- DAILY MEDIA REACTION REPORTING; 
- DAILY IRAQ PD TASKFORCE REPORTING; 
- PAS STAFF UPDATED EMBASSY WEBSITE DAILY WITH IMPORTANT 
POLICY STATEMENTS, KEY SPEECHES, IMPORTANT PD DOCUMENTS, 
AND POSITIVE PHOTOGRAPHS. 
- PLANNING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH DEPUTY SECRETARY 
ARMITAGE FOR AL-KHALEEJ ARABIC DAILY, THE MOST ANTI- 
AMERICAN UAE DAILY, SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 18. 
 
3.  THE CHALLENGES REMAIN MANY.  FIRST, WE COMMEND THE 
IRAQ PD TASKFORCE AND STATE FOR TIMELY ASSISTANCE IN 
PROVIDING A WEALTH OF KEY PD MATERIALS.  THE IRAQ PD 
TASKFORCE FOLLOWED UP SWIFTLY ON POST'S REQUESTS AND 
RECOMMENDATIONS WITH DOD, CENTCOM, AND USAID; THE TURN- 
AROUND WAS EXTRAORDINARY.  TO FURTHER IMPROVE THIS 
EFFORT, WE RECOMMEND THAT KEY STATE OFFICIALS CONTINUE 
CURRENT PRESS OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH ARABIC TRANSLATIONS 
IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL MEDIA PLACEMENT. 
LIKEWISE, MORE ARABIC TRANSLATIONS ARE NEEDED THE SAME 
DAY OF IMPORTANT SPEECHES AND FOR IMPORTANT PD 
DOCUMENTS, SUCH AS MISINFORMATION/DISINFORMATION 
REPORTS, PHOTOGRAPH CAPTIONS, AND TALKING POINTS FOR 
POST PRINCIPALS.  POSTS HAVE HAD TO TRANSLATE THESE 
LOCALLY, WITH INADEQUATE TIME AND STAFF. 
 
4. IN THIS EMOTIONAL CLIMATE, SYMBOLIC IMAGES AND 
GESTURES TAKE ON EVEN MORE IMPORTANCE THAN USUAL. 
IMAGES OF THE RAISING OF AN AMERICAN FLAG, THE LOOTING 
OF THE BAGHDAD MUSEUM, OR THE BURNING OF THE PRINCIPAL 
IRAQI LIBRARIES ARE DEEPLY DISTURBING TO OUR AUDIENCES 
IN THE UAE.  THEY PLAY INTO POPULAR FEARS THAT OUR TRUE 
AIM IS TO SUBJUGATE AND HUMILIATE THE ARABS AND DESTROY 
IRAQ'S NATIONAL IDENTITY.  VISIBLE GESTURES SUCH AS THE 
PROMPT DISPATCH OF A TEAM OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND 
CONSERVATIONISTS TO IRAQ TO SALVAGE REMAINING 
ANTIQUITIES WOULD RESONATE WITH OUR AUDIENCES MORE THAN 
OFFICIAL STATEMENTS THAT WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN.  IN 
THE WORDS OF ONE IRAQI EXPATRIATE, "JUSTICE MUST BE SEEN 
TO BE DONE, NOT JUST DONE." 
 
5.  OUR SUCCESS IN GETTING THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT 
SO FAR HAS BEEN LINKED TO THE EMOTIVE IMAGES UAE 
NATIONALS AND ARAB EXPATRIATES SEE THROUGH ARAB 
ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA.  FOOTAGE OF DEAD OR WOUNDED 
IRAQI CIVILIANS AND DEMOLISHED PALESTINIAN HOMES 
GENERATED OUTRAGE AND REDUCED THE IMPACT OF OUR MESSAGE. 
DESPITE THIS, TARGETED PLACEMENT OF KEY PD ITEMS, ONE-ON- 
ONE INTERACTION WITH KEY INTERLOCUTORS, AND 
AMBASSADORIAL OUTREACH HAVE ENSURED OUR VOICE WAS HEARD. 
ALTHOUGH EMOTIONS HERE WILL CONTINUE TO RISE AND FALL 
TOGETHER WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ AND ISRAEL, MORE 
THOUGHTFUL MINDS ARE INCREASINGLY CONNECTING COALITION 
ACTIONS TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC IRAQ TO THE HOPE OF A 
BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL IN THE REGION. 
 
WAHBA