US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1992

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001992 
 
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 SECRETARIAL VISIT EXPLOSIONS IN 
BAGHDAD 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S VISIT TO THE UAE AND OTHER 
COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, CIVILIAN DEATHS DUE TO AN ARMS DUMP 
EXPLOSION IN BAGHDAD, AND ANTI-AMERICAN DEMONSTRATIONS IN IRAQ 
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA.  IN "AL BAYAN," UAE COLUMNIST 
AYSHA SULTAN CRITICIZED ANY 'EXCUSES' GIVEN FOR THE CRIMES 
COMMITTED BY THE PREVIOUS IRAQI REGIME.  IN "AL ITTIHAD," UAE 
COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA CRITICIZED THE ATTITUDES OF A FEW 
GULF COUNTRIES TOWARDS THE AMERICAN PRESENCE IN IRAQ.  EDITOR-IN- 
CHIEF OF "AL BAYAN," KHALED MOHAMMED AHMED, COMMENTED ON THE MANY 
CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR AND ITS EFFECTS ON NOT ONLY IRAQ BUT THE 
ENTIRE ARAB WORLD.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD'S VISIT TO THE GULF 
STARTED WITH THE UAE AND WAS COVERED IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH 
NEWSPAPERS.  EXCERPTS OF SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S ABU DHABI TV 
INTERVIEW WERE ALSO CARRIED IN UAE DAILIES.  THE INTERVIEW WAS 
BROADCAST IN ITS ENTIRETY DURING THE TWO-HOUR PROGRAM, "THE 
TURNING POINT," ON ABU DHABI TV THE SAME NIGHT AND REBROADCAST 
DURING MORNING NEWS PROGRAMMING. 
 
3.  CRITICIZING ANY EXCUSES FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE 
PREVIOUS IRAQI REGIME, UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN DUBAI- 
BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" ON 4/28: 
 
"... HOW IS IT THAT SOME ARE STILL LOOKING FOR EXCUSES FOR THIS 
REGIME, DESCRIBING IT AS PAN-ARABIST BECAUSE IT DID NOT ACQUIESCE 
TO SIGNING ANY AGREEMENTS WITH ISRAEL AND IT OPPOSED THE U.S. AND 
IT ... ?  HOW COULD EXCUSES BE GIVEN TO THE MASSACRES, THE 
INJUSTICE, AND THE TYRANNY?  WHERE DID THE MILLIONS OF THE (MONEY 
OF THE) IRAQI PEOPLE GO?  AND THE OIL BILLIONS?  WHY IS 
EVERYTHING BEING GATHERED INTO BOXES AND BAGS BY THE AMERICANS, 
AND TRANSFERRED TO UNKNOWN 'SECURE' PLACES ABOUT WHICH ONLY THE 
AMERICANS KNOW?  WHY WEREN'T THEY USED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE 
PEOPLE OF IRAQ?  FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF IRAQ?  FOR REBUILDING 
IRAQ?  WHEN THE WATER PUMP INITIATED BY SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN 
AL NAHYAN IN BASRA WAS READY WITHIN ONLY 36 HOURS, WHILE A WHOLE 
REGIME WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THIS FOR 12 YEARS, LEAVING PEOPLE TO 
DIE OF THIRST, THEN WHAT COULD BE SAID AFTERWARDS?  WHAT DEFENSE 
COULD BE ACCEPTABLE OR EVEN FORGIVEN?" 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE DOUBLE STANDARDS OF ARAB LEADERS ON THE 
U.S. PRESENCE IN IRAQ, DR. ANWAR GHARGHASH WROTE IN ABU DHABI- 
BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON 4/28: 
 
"... THE REQUEST OF THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES FOR THE U.S. TO 
SHORTEN ITS PRESENCE IN THE REGION SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY INNER 
INITIATIVES TO DEAL WITH THESE NEW ASPECTS.  THESE INITIATIVES 
SHOULD INCLUDE AN OPEN METHOD ASSERTING THE POLITICAL AND CIVIL 
RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.  THESE COUNTRIES SHOULD NOT REJECT THE U.S. 
PRESENCE ON THE GROUNDS OF INDEPENDENCE, WHILE THEY DO NOT 
RESPECT OTHER VALUES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR AN ARAB PERSON ... 
AND WHOEVER IS ASKING WASHINGTON TO LEAVE IRAQ CAN'T CONTINUE HIS 
ABUSIVE TREATMENT OF HIS OWN PEOPLE ..." 
 
5.  URGING NO ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE U.S. OCCUPATOPM OF IRAQ IS 
TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRACY, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 4/27: 
 
"... MAYBE HISTORY, BOTH RECENT AND ANCIENT HISTORY, CONFIRMS 
THAT THE U.S. IS AND WAS NEVER A COUNTRY THAT RESPECTS DEMOCRACY 
AND THE DECISIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES.  THROUGH ITS POLICY, THE 
U.S. HAS BEEN GREATLY SUPPORTING TOTALITARIANISM AND 
DICTATORSHIP.  ALL ITS (U.S.) WARS IN THE WORLD WERE AIMED AT 
DEFEATING THE PEOPLE AND CONFISCATING THEIR LIBERTY IN ORDER TO 
ATTAIN ITS BENEFITS AS A GREATER COUNTRY.  NOW THE U.S. IS 
SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A NEW WORLD ORDER UNDER ITS OWN CONTROL TO 
DOMINATE THE WORLD THROUGH POWER AND FORCE, NOT THROUGH LIBERTY 
AND DEMOCRACY ..." 
 
6.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "BURGLARY IN IRAQ," "AL-BAYAN" 
EDITORIALIZED 4/27: 
 
"... WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW CONFIRMS THAT THE U.S. IS SEEKING 
TOTAL HEGEMONY IN IRAQ, OR SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO ITS 
ECONOMIC WEALTH.  IT (THE U.S.) HAS ALREADY CHOSEN TWO FINANCIAL 
OFFICIALS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY IN ORDER TO CONTROL 
THE ECONOMY OF IRAQ, AND THEY ARE 'PETER MCPHERSON' AND 'GEORGE 
WOOLF.'  SO IT IS CLEAR WHO WILL BE SELLING IRAQI OIL AND WHO HAS 
THE RIGHT FOR ITS DISPOSAL?!" 
 
7.  CRITICIZING THE ATTITUDES OF A FEW GULF COUNTRIES TOWARDS THE 
AMERICAN PRESENCE IN IRAQ, DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN "AL 
ITTIHAD" ON 4/27: 
 
"... MAYBE WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME STANCE AS ISLAMIC IRAN AND 
NATIONALISTIC SYRIA HAVE, BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND THEIR POINT OF 
VIEW AND ACCEPT IT.  WHAT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS THE STANCE OF 
SOME OF THE GULF COUNTRIES TOWARDS THE U.S.  SOME OF THESE 
COUNTRIES HAVE STRONG CONNECTIONS WITH THE U.S. IN ADDITION TO 
HAVING U.S. MILITARY BASES FOR OVER 30 YEARS ..." 
8.  COMMENTING ON THE DILEMMA CONFRONTING THE ARAB WORLD 
FOLLOWING THE WAR IN IRAQ, "AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/26: 
 
"...THE TRUTH IS THAT THE ARABS ARE FACED WITH A REAL DILEMMA 
BECAUSE OF AMERICAN CONTROL (OF THE REGION).  ONE OF ITS 
COUNTRIES (ARAB COUNTRIES) FELL UNDER AMERICAN OCCUPATION, SO IT 
IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH THAT WASHINGTON MIGHT REPLAY THIS 
INEXPENSIVE GAME IN ORDER TO OCCUPY ANOTHER ARAB COUNTRY..." 
 
9.  IN A CLOSING STATEMENT, SALIM WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" ON 4/26: 
 
"UNTIL NOW, THE U.S. HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVE THAT IRAQ HAS WMD 
DURING THE ERA OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME, DESPITE THE FACT AND 
DESPERATE INSPECTION EFFORTS CARRIED OUT BY U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ. 
WASHINGTON HAS TO PROVE THIS IN ORDER TO HAVE A MAJOR EXCUSE FOR 
ITS ATTACK ON IRAQ, OTHERWISE, IT WILL LOSE ITS CREDIBILITY, 
WHICH IT ALREADY LOST EVEN BEFORE ITS ATTACKS.  WHAT IF THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION PROVIDES PROOF BUT DOES NOT SUCCEED IN FINDING THE 
WMD?  NOTHING!  WHO WILL THEN PUNISH THE U.S.?" 
 
10.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR," EDITOR-IN- 
CHIEF KHALED MOHAMMED AHMED WROTE IN A FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE IN "AL 
BAYAN" ON 4/26: 
 
"... THE ARAB REGION WILL BE FACED WITH INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS 
THAT SWING BETWEEN TENSION AND APPEAL, BETWEEN ATTRACTION AND 
INTIMIDATION, AND BETWEEN SHOCK AND AWE.  SO ARE THE ARABS READY 
FOR THIS?  HAVE THEY BENEFITED FROM THE IRAQI LESSON, OR DO THEY 
NEED MORE SHOCKS?  NOW, AND THROUGH BAGHDAD, PASSES THE ROADMAP. 
WILL IT ALLOW THE PALESTINIANS TO REACH THE END OF THE ROAD, OR 
IS THE PATH STILL LADEN WITH THORNS EVEN AFTER THE FALL OF 
BAGHDAD?" 
 
11.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "FACING THE EARTHQUAKE AND ITS 
AFTERSHOCKS," "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/25: 
 
"... THERE IS A NEED FOR AN ACCURATE, TRANSPARENT AND THOROUGH 
LOOK AT REALITY ... IN ADDITION, WE NEED TO TAKE INTO 
CONSIDERATION THIS NATION'S POTENTIAL AND CAPABILITIES THAT COULD 
BE EMPLOYED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.  THIS IS ONLY IF ARAB 
COUNTRIES REALLY WANT TO DEVELOP IT THROUGH A COOPERATIVE ARAB 
EFFORT TO THE LEVEL THAT MAKES THIS NATION PRODUCTIVE AND ABLE TO 
GUIDE ITS OWN FUTURE ... WITHOUT THIS, THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE 
EARTHQUAKE WILL DESTROY WHAT IS LEFT." 
 
WAHBA