US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2289

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002289 
 
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:  PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH'S ADDRESS CALLING FOR THE 
ESTABLISHMENT OF U.S.-MIDDLE EAST FREE TRADE AREA RECEIVED 
PROMINENT COVERAGE IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC 
MEDIA.  ALL UAE DAILIES PUBLISHED LENGTHY EXCERPTS OF THE SPEECH, 
AND ABU DHABI TV, AL JAZEERA, AND AL ARABIYAH BROADCAST THE 
SPEECH LIVE.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ASSERTED THAT THE 
VERACITY OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S PLAN FOR A NEW MIDDLE EAST IS 
DOUBTED BY MANY IN THE REGION.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "CARROT AND 
STICK DIPLOMACY," A GULF NEWS EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT BUSH'S PLAN 
WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY ARABS AND MUSLIMS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S PLAN FOR A NEW MIDDLE EAST, 
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/11: 
 
"PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH'S PLAN FOR A NEW MIDDLE EAST AND HIS 
SUGGESTION TO ESTABLISH A U.S.-MIDDLE EAST FREE TRADE AREA BY THE 
YEAR 2013 GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF GOOD WILL AND AMERICAN CONCERN 
FOR THE REGION AND ITS PEOPLE ... BUT WHOEVER LOOKS CAREFULLY AT 
THIS PLAN AND ITS GOALS AND REFERS TO PAST U.S. POLICIES TOWARDS 
THE REGION ... THE PLAN RELIES ON PREVIOUS ISRAELI MINISTER 
SHIMON PEREZ'S PROPOSAL FOR A NEW MIDDLE EAST.  THE PLAN IN 
THEORY WILL BE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN TWO UNEQUAL SIDES, 
ECONOMICALLY AND MILITARILY.  THIS PLAN IS TALKING ABOUT A REGION 
THAT STILL HAS CONFLICTS, MOST IMPORTANTLY THE ARAB-ISRAELI 
CONFLICT, WHICH THE U.S. TREATS WITH TOTAL BIAS FOR ISRAEL AND 
SUPPORTS ITS RACIST AND AGGRESSIVE POLICIES ..." 
 
"DOUBTS ARE INCREASING ABOUT THIS PLAN, SINCE IT COMES AT A TIME 
WHEN SOME ARAB COUNTRIES ARE PRESSURED TO GIVE IN TO THE DEMANDS 
AND CONDITIONS AIMING TO ELIMINATE THE STRENGTH AND RIGHT OF 
REFUSAL OF THESE COUNTRIES, DRIVING THEM TO OBEDIENCE, AND 
DISREGARDING THEIR RIGHTS.  THIS PLAN NOW PUTS THE 'CART BEFORE 
THE HORSE,' BECAUSE ITS IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTS FIRST THAT THIS 
REGION SHOULD BE BLESSED WITH SECURITY, STABILITY, AND PEACE ... 
THE U.S. PLAN FOR A NEW MIDDLE EAST COMES AT THE WRONG TIME, 
EXCEPT IF THE U.S. THINKS THAT IT CAN IMPOSE ISRAEL ON THE REGION 
... IF THE U.S. IS SERIOUS ABOUT ESTABLISHING A NEW MIDDLE EAST 
THAT IS ECONOMICALLY PROSPEROUS AND BLESSED WITH THE LIBERTY AND 
DEMOCRACY PRESIDENT BUSH TALKS ABOUT, IT (THE U.S.) SHOULD 
IMMEDIATELY START BY REQUIRING THAT ISRAEL IMPLEMENT THE 
INTERNATIONAL DECISIONS IN ORDER TO REACH A JUST, COMPREHENSIVE, 
AND LASTING PEACE ... OR ELSE THESE PLANS WILL ONLY AIM TO 
BEAUTIFY THE U.S.'S IMAGE IN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE 
REGION." 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "CARROT AND STICK DIPLOMACY," ENGLISH- 
LANGUAGE EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 5/11: 
 
"... AMERICAN PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH HAS OUTLINED A MIDEAST 
TRADE PLAN.  THE OBJECTIVE IS TO HAVE MIDDLE EAST NATIONS SIGN UP 
TO A U.S.-BACKED TRADE INITIATIVE, GIVING SUCH NATIONS SPECIAL 
TERMS, PRESUMABLY ON A QUID PRO QUO BASIS. YET, THERE IS MORE TO 
THIS INITIATIVE THAN MERE BUSINESS ... THE UNDERLYING REASON IS 
FOR THE ARAB WORLD TO IMPROVE - OR CHANGE - ITS POLITICAL 
STRUCTURES AND SEE DEMOCRACY IN ARAB NATIONS, TOGETHER WITH 
GREATER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS." 
 
"WHILST MANY MIDDLE EAST NATIONS MAY WELCOME THE POSSIBILITY OF 
IMPROVING TRADE WITH THE U.S., EVERY ARAB AND MUSLIM NATION WILL 
OBJECT STRONGLY TO THE METHOD EMPLOYED TO ATTRACT SUCH 
PARTICIPATION. FOR IT REQUIRES FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES NOT ONLY IN 
SOCIETY AND THE RULE OF LAW BUT, FAR MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE VERY 
INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM.  THIS IS BECAUSE ARAB MUSLIM LAW AND 
SOCIETY IS BASED ON THE HOLY QURAN, SO ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE 
INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HOLY QURAN SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE MADE BY 
AN OUTSIDE POWER - A WESTERN ONE AT THAT - AND DEFINITELY NOT 
COERCED BY THE PROSPECT OF INCREASED TRADE.  THE RELIGION, 
HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE REGION CAN BE TRACED BACK FARTHER THAN 
THAT OF AMERICA; IT IS THE FAILURE OF SUCCESSIVE AMERICAN 
ADMINISTRATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE THEORY OF SUCH CONCEPTS THAT 
DEPICTS THEIR DESIRE TO IMPOSE THE "AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE" WHERE 
IT IS NOT WANTED." 
 
ALBRIGHT