US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2300

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002300 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR D; NEA/FO; NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; NEA/RA; 
IIP/G/NESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  KPAO; PREL; OIIP, TC 
SUBJECT:  DEPUTY SECRETARY'S REMARKS TEMPER CRITICISM OF 
US IN UAE PRESS 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ON APRIL 18, PAO ARRANGED A TELEPHONE 
PRESS CONFERENCE (TPC) FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY WITH THE 
UAE'S MOST WIDELY READ PAN-ARAB ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
KHALEEJ" AND SISTER ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF TODAY." 
BOTH CARRIED THE ENTIRE TEXT OF THE INTERVIEW ON SUNDAY, 
APRIL 20, 2003.  THE D/S'S REMARKS ON SYRIA, THE 
ROADMAP, AND U.S. PLANS FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ 
WERE USED IN SUBSEQUENT ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS AND 
HIGHLIGHTED BY OTHER UAE DAILIES AND REGIONAL SATELLITE 
TV CHANNELS.  THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW INJECTED BALANCE 
INTO AL KHALEEJ'S HARSH CONDEMNATIONS OF US FOREIGN 
POLICY AND INTENTIONS IN THE REGION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  ON APRIL 20, 2003, "AL-KHALEEJ" HEADLINED FRONT-PAGE 
EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW.  THE MAIN HEADLINES READ: 
 
--"CONFIRMING THAT AMERICA WILL BE IN CHARGE OF IRAQ FOR 
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, ARMITAGE TELLS 'AL-KHALEEJ': 
SYRIA IS AT A CROSSROADS" 
--"THE ROADMAP IS NOT SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATION OR 
BARGAINING" 
--"THE UN ROLE IS VITAL, AND WE ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT 
WITH PERLE ON ELIMINATING ITS ROLE." 
 
3.  "AL-KHALEEJ" ALSO DEVOTED AN ENTIRE INSIDE PAGE TO 
THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE'S 
INTERVIEW.  THE HEADLINES ON PAGE 12 READ: 
 
--"ASSERTING THAT SYRIA MUST BE AWARE THAT THE SITUATION 
HAS CHANGED, POWELL WILL DISCUSS THE PROPOSAL TO 
ELIMINATE WMD FROM THE REGION WITH ASSAD" 
--"ARMITAGE TELLS 'AL-KHALEEJ': WE WILL RULE IRAQ FOR A 
SHORT PERIOD AND HAVE NO LIST OF OTHER TARGETS." 
 
4.  ON THE SAME DAY, SISTER ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF 
TODAY" POSTED AN ARTICLE ON THE INTERVIEW ON ITS FIRST 
PAGE WITH THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ON AN INSIDE PAGE.  THE 
FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE READ:  "NO TIMEFRAME FOR IRAQ: US 
WILL NOT DEPART WITHOUT ENSURING SECURITY, SAYS 
ARMITAGE," "PEACE 'ROAD MAP' IS NOT NEGOTIABLE," AND "US 
WILL NOT STAY IN IRAQ ONE DAY LONGER THAN NECESSARY." 
 
5.  THIS INTERVIEW HAD A BROAD IMPACT ON UAE AND 
REGIONAL MEDIA.  OTHER UAE DAILIES AND THE THREE LEADING 
TELEVISION STATIONS MBC, ABU DHABI, AND AL-ARABIYYA 
PUBLISHED OR AIRED EXCERPTS OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S 
REMARKS. COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTED THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S 
DENIAL THAT THE ROAD MAP WILL BE SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATION 
AND BARGAINING AND GENERALLY DESCRIBED THESE REMARKS AS 
A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PEACE 
PROCESS.  THE COVERAGE ALSO REPEATED THE DEPUTY 
SECRETARY'S COMMENT THAT "THE US PRESENCE IN IRAQ WILL 
 
SIPDIS 
NOT BE ONE DAY LONGER THAN NECESSARY".  OVERALL, THE 
EMINENTLY QUOTABLE DEPUTY SECRETARY BROUGHT BALANCE AND 
OBJECTIVITY TO THE UAE MEDIA'S DEBATE ON IRAQ, THE 
ROADMAP, AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE REGION. 
 
6.  COMMENT: SINCE THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN IRAQ, 
POST HAS NOTED AN INCREASED WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF 
LOCAL MEDIA TO ENGAGE WITH US AND WITH USG OFFICIALS. 
THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S INTERVIEW WAS THE FIRST SUCH 
INTERVIEW WE HAVE DONE WITH THE USUALLY ANTI-AMERICAN 
(BUT INFLUENTIAL) AL-KHALEEJ. IT PAVED THE WAY FOR AN 
INTERVIEW BY AL-KHALEEJ WITH AMBASSADOR WAHBA TWO WEEKS 
LATER, AGAIN, A FIRST OF ITS KIND.  WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT 
OPPORTUNITY AT THIS TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS 
GREATER OPENNESS.  WE ENCOURAGE THE DEPARTMENT TO 
MAINTAIN THE INCREASED LEVEL OF INTERVIEWS BY SENIOR USG 
OFFICIALS WITH THE ARAB MEDIA. END COMMENT 
 
ALBRIGHT