US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1937

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001937 
 
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:  IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ISRAEL PALESTINE 
THE ROADMAP 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  GEN. JAY GARNER'S ARRIVAL IN BAGHDAD TO BEGIN THE 
RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, THE STRUGGLE TO FORM A NEW PALESTINIAN 
GOVERNMENT, AND THE CIVILAIN CASUALTIES IN PALESTINE DOMINATED 
COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL CRITICIZED THE 
"WAR" BETWEEN PRESIDENT ARAFAT AND ABU MAZEN OVER THE FORMATION 
OF A NEW PALSTINIAN GOVERNMENT.  UAE COLUMINST DR. SHAMLAN AL 
EISSA DESCRIBED IN "AL ITTIHAD" WHAT HE CONSIDERS THE REAL REASON 
BEHIND ARAB GOVERNMENTS' CONCERN FOR THE SITUATION IN IRAQ:  THE 
SPREAD OF DEMOCRACY TO THEIR COUNTRIES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON THE FORMATION OF A NEW PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT, 
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/22: 
 
"... THE WAR OF POSITIONS, NAMES, DIPLOMATIC POUCHES, AND 
AUTHORITIES GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE FORMATION OF THE 
PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE STOPPED, SO ISRAEL, ALONG WITH 
THE U.S., WILL NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND SOW FURTHER DIVISIONS 
AMONG THE PALESTINIANS, EITHER WITHIN THE AUTHORITY ITSELF, OR 
BETWEEN THE AUTHORITY AND OTHER POWERS ... WHAT PALESTINE NEEDS 
NOW IN PARTICULAR IS TO STRUGGLE AND EXERT THE EFFORTS OF ALL 
POWERS IN ORDER TO END THE OCCUPATION, IT (PALESTINE) DOES NOT 
NEED FIGHTING IN ORDER TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM (ISRAEL) OR TO 
SATISFY THEM." 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON A LOS ANGELES TIME REPORT ON THE AMERICAN 
STRATEGY TO QUIET ANTI-AMERICANISM IN THE REGION, DUBAI-BASED 
BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/22: 
 
"... AS ADVERTISED THROUGH ITS MEDIA AND PRESS, THIS IS WHAT THE 
U.S. WANTS.  THIS CONFIRMS A CLEAR REALITY THAT THE U.S. IS 
SEEKING TO IMPOSE ITS MANDATE ON THE ARABS ON ONE HAND AND FOR 
THE BENEFIT OF THE ISRAELI ZIONISTS ON THE OTHER.  WE CANNOT 
DISREGARD THE 'BITTER' REALITY THAT THE 'SECOND WINNER' IN THIS 
WAR AGAINST IRAQ WAS THE ZIONISTS ... THE U.S. INTENTION IS 
DEFINITELY NOT TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR THE ARABS ..." 
 
4.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "ANOTHER VEILED THREAT," EXPATRIATE- 
ORIENTED, ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS EDITORIALIZED 4/22: 
 
"AFTER THE SWIFT INVASION OF IRAQ, IT QUICKLY BECAME CLEAR THAT 
OCCUPATION WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME, NOT LIBERATION, NOR FREEDOM, 
SINCE NO STRATEGY HAS BEEN DEVISED TO ENSURE THE PEOPLE WERE 
SUPPLIED WITH THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE.  ONLY NOW, SOME FOUR 
WEEKS AFTER THE INVASION, ARE RUSHED EFFORTS BEING MADE TO REMEDY 
THE SITUATION.  BUT WHAT WAS PROTECTED AND GUARDED, WERE THE OIL 
WELLS AND EVEN THE MINISTRY OF OIL BUILDING IN BAGHDAD.  THAT 
THOSE SAME TROOPS STOOD IDLY BY WHILE LOOTING WENT ON, SEEMED NOT 
TO MATTER TO THE INVADERS.  THAT THE PRICELESS HERITAGE OF 5,000 
YEARS OF CIVILIZATION WAS BLATANTLY STOLEN WAS IGNORED, MORE 
IMPORTANT WAS TO SECURE PROFITABLE REBUILDING CONTRACTS FOR THE 
WHITE HOUSE CAUCAS CRONIES." 
 
5.  IN A CLOSING STATEMENT, SALEM WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" ON 4/21: 
 
"THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION HAS STARTED AWARDING RE-BUILDING 
CONTRACTS, IN ORDER TO REBUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF IRAQ 
DESTROYED BY THE INVADERS.  AS EXPECTED, THE LION'S SHARE GOES TO 
AMERICAN COMPANIES, WHICH HAVE DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE U.S. 
ADMINISTRATION ITSELF.  THIS MEANS THAT THE AMERICAN LOOTING OF 
IRAQ STARTED EARLY, AND THIS ILLEGAL OCCUPATION IS DISTRIBUTING 
ILLEGAL CONTRACTS TO ILLEGAL COMPANIES.  THIS IS ONLY THE 
BEGINNING.  OR, THIS IS THE TITLE OF THE OCCUPATION AND 
REPRESENTS ITS MEANING ..." 
 
6.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "LIBERATION NOT OCCUPATION," UAE COLUMNIST 
DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL 
ITTIHAD" ON 4/20: 
 
"WE ARE SURE THAT THE ARAB AND GULF GOVERNMENTS ASKING THE 
OCCUPIERS TO LEAVE IRAQ, AND LEAVE IRAQ FOR ITS PEOPLE TO RULE, 
DO NOT REALLY CARE ABOUT THE IRAQI PEOPLE.  THESE GOVERNMENTS 
DREAD THE FACT THAT THE COALITION COUNTRIES MIGHT CHANGE THOUGHTS 
AND MINDS NOT ONLY IN IRAQ, BUT ALSO IN THE NEIGHBOURING ARAB 
COUNTRIES.  THEY DREAD REAL DEMOCRACY ..." 
 
WAHBA