US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2391

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002391 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NESA 
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:  TERRORIST ATTACKS, ROADMAP, IRAQ 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  TERRORIST ATTACKS IN RIYADH AND CASABLANCA, 
ESCALATING CONFLICT IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA, AND THE 
RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND 
ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" ALLEGED THAT THE 
ONLY BENEFICIARY OF THESE ATTACKS IS ISRAEL.  AN "AL BAYAN" 
EDITORIAL COMMENTED ON THE ESCALATING CONFLICT IN THE PALESTIAN 
TERRITORIES AND ASSERTED THAT ISRAEL IS TO BLAME, NOT THE 
PALESTINIANS.  A "GULF NEWS" EDITORIAL CALLED ON ARAB GOVERNMENTS 
TO VOICE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE WAR ON TERROR PUBLICLY TO CONVINCE 
ARABS AND MUSLIMS THAT THE U.S. IS NOT CONDUCTING A WAR ON ISLAM. 
FINALLY, AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST 
ATTACKS IN THE REGION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  ASSERTING THAT NO ONE IS BENEFITING FROM THESE TERRORIST 
ATTACKS BUT ISRAEL, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 5/19: 
 
"... THE MORALS AND ETHICS EXHIBITED BY ARABS IN PARTICULAR AND 
MUSLIMS IN GENERAL, AND THE DEFENSE OF THESE (MORALS) IN 
CONFRONTING THE BRUTAL ATTACKS FROM THE ZIONIST ENTITY OR ANY 
OTHERS ARE DAMAGED BY ACTS (TERRORIST ATTACKS) AT THE CORE (OF 
THE ISSUE), AND THEIR LOSES ARE UNCOUNTABLE ... WHATEVER SHAKES 
THE SECURITY OR STABILITY IN ANY ARAB COUNTRY IS CONSIDERED A 
FREE SERVICE FOR THIS ENEMY (ISRAEL) AND WHOEVER SUPPORTS IT." 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON THE ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION IN THE WEST 
BANK AND GAZA, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 5/19: 
 
"... ISRAELI POLICY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ESCALATION OF THE 
SITUATION.  IF THE ISRAELI MILITARY MACHINE STOPS KILLING AND THE 
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT REACHES OUT FOR PEACE BY ACCEPTING THE 
ROADMAP, WE DON'T THINK THAT THINGS WILL GET WORSE OR THAT THE 
VIOLENCE WILL CONTINUE ..." 
 
4.  CALLING ON ARAB GOVERNMENTS TO SUPPORT THE WAR ON TERROR 
PUBLICLY, EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" 
EDITORIALIZED 5/19: 
 
"... MUCH TO THE FEAR OF MANY MUSLIMS, WHO ARE EQUALLY AGAINST 
TERRORISM, THE U.S. FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IS INCREASINGLY 
LOOKING LIKE A WAR WAGED AGAINST ISLAM.  THAT IT IS NOT AND THAT 
MOST ISLAMIC LEADERS KNOW THIS, DOES NOT APPEASE TO DOUBTS OF THE 
MASSES, WHO PERCEIVE ONLY ONSLAUGHTS AGAINST AND INCARCERATIONS 
OF MUSLIMS ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS ... IT IS SUPPOSED BY NEARLY 
EVERYONE TODAY AS AN AMERICAN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, ERGO, 
ISLAM.  THIS IS A WRONG PERCEPTION WHICH CAN EASILY BE RECTIFIED 
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ARAB AND MUSLIM NATIONS, PARTICULARLY, BUT 
NOT ESSENTIALLY ... WHERE POSSIBLE ARAB AND MUSLIM NATIONS COULD 
SHOW A HIGHER PROFILE THAN THEY ARE AT PRESENT DOING ON THEIR 
COLLABORATION AND WORK AGAINST TERRORISM ... SUCH REASSURANCE AND 
EVIDENT COLLABORATION WILL GO ALONG WAY IN COUNTERING THE 
FREQUENTLY DISSEMINATED COMMENTS THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM IS A 
FAADE, TO COVER THE FACT THAT IT IS A WESTERN PLOY TO CURB THE 
SPREAD AND INFLUENCE OF ISLAM.  SUCH COMMENTS, OF COURSE, ARE 
QUITE THE REVERSE, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT ISLAM IS THE FASTEST 
GROWING RELIGION IN THE WEST ..." 
 
5.  CLAIMING THAT NEITHER SHARON'S MEETING WITH ABU MAZEN NOR HIS 
EXPECTED MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/18: 
 
"... ONLY IN ONE CASE WILL THE ROADMAP SEE THE LIGHT (OF DAY) ... 
AND THAT IS WHEN ALL ISRAELI CONDITIONS ARE APPROVED, AND THIS IS 
WHAT THE U.S. AND ISRAEL WILL TRY TO DO BY PRESSURING MAHMOUD 
ABBAS(ABU MAZEN) AND HIS GOVERNMENT.  THE BALANCE OF POWER AND 
POPULAR WILL IS WHAT WILL OR WILL NOT DETERMINE THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP, AND CHOOSING GOOD WILL AND PEACE 
AS A STRATEGIC GOAL WITHOUT POSSESSING THE POWER TO PROTECT IT 
(PEACE), IS THE WEAPON OF THE WEAK ..." 
 
6.  COMMENTING ON A RECENT INCREASE IN TERRORISM IN THE GULF, DR. 
SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL 
ITTIHAD" ON 5/18: 
 
"... IT'S A BIG MISTAKE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE SECURITY ASPECT TO 
SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.  THE ISSUE OF EXTREMISM AND TERRORISM AGAINST 
THE INNOCENT IS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON THAT NEEDS RESEARCH REGARDING 
ITS REASONS, FIRST CULTURALLY, SOCIALLY, AND RELIGIOUSLY.  WERE 
THE GULF GOVERNMENTS REALLY SURPRISED WITH THESE OPERATIONS?! 
WHAT WE WANT TO SAY IS THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM IN THE REGION 
ASKS FOR CHANGES IN THE METHODS OF ITS (GULF COUNTRIES) 
GOVERNMENTS.  REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CHANGES ASK FOR POPULAR 
PARTICIPATION IN THE GOVERNMENT ..." 
 
7.  CONDEMNING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE REGION, "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 5/17: 
 
"... WHAT IS REQUESTED IS NOT TO SURRENDER TO THE ESTABLISHED 
FACT AND GIVE IT FREE REIN BUT TO SEEK EAGERLY THE ELIMINATION OF 
THIS DANGER AND TREAT THIS MALIGNANT DISEASE BY TREATING ITS 
CAUSES ... THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND THE 
ENTIRE COMMUNITY WITH ALL ITS SCIENTISTS, THINKERS, AND 
POLITICIANS WHO HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS AND CONSCIENCES ..." 
 
8.  COMMENTING ON THE U.S. WARNINGS TO THEIR CITIZENS OF 
ANTICIPATED TERRORIST ATTACKS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES, "AL-BAYAN" 
EDITORIALIZED 5/17: 
 
"... IF THE U.S. REALLY WANTS TO DESTROY TERRORISM, IT SHOULD 
START WITH ITSELF, AND SEEK A BALANCED POLICY TOWARDS OTHERS, IN 
ADDITION, (IT SHOULD) STOP INTERFERING IN OTHER COUNTRIES' 
AFFAIRS AND STOP USING 'MILITARY MUSCLE' TO DISPLAY ITS POWER 
AGAINST SMALLER COUNTRIES ..." 
 
9.  DISCUSSING ON THE TROUBLES FACING COALITION FORCES IN IRAQ 
ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE SECURITY, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 5/16: 
 
"... THE PRIORITY IS TO HELP IRAQIS GET OUT OF THE CESSPOOL OF 
PAIN AND SADNESS IN WHICH THEY WERE DROWNED BY SADDAM, BUT THESE 
EFFORTS SHOULD PARALLEL STEPS TO HAND OVER IRAQ TO IRAQIS ..." 
 
ALBRIGHT