US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2411

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002411 
 
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:  PALESTINE IRAQ TERRORISM 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ESCALATING CONFLICT IN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTIAN 
TERRITORIES, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, AND TERRORIST ATTACKS IN 
THE REGION DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. 
AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL NOTED THAT THE SITUATION IN IRAQ IS 
WORSENING AND THAT THE ONLY BENEFICIARY OF THESE ACTIONS IS THE 
U.S.  IN "AL ITTIHAD," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA CONDEMNED THE 
TERRORIST ATTACKS AND CRITICIZED THE METHODS OF THE GULF 
COUNTRIES IN DEALING WITH TERRORIST GROUPS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON THE WORSENING SITUATION IN IRAQ AND ITS 
"AMERICANIZATION," SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 5/21: 
 
"... THIS NEW FORM (OF IRAQ) TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION ONLY THE 
BENEFIT OF U.S. AND ISRAEL, AT THE EXPENSE OF IRAQ AND ITS 
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AS THIS NEW FORM REALLY CARRIES THE SEEDS OF 
TRANSFORMING THIS ARAB COUNTRY INTO A LAUNCHING PAD FOR ATTACKS 
AGAINST OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES ... THESE DANGERS WILL INCREASE, 
WHILE BOTH WASHINGTON AND LONDON INSIST ON EXCLUDING EVERYONE, 
WESTERNERS AND ARABS, IN ADDITION TO IRAQ'S NATIONAL POWERS, FROM 
INTERFERING IN IRAQ BECAUSE THEY (WASHINGTON AND LONDON) WANT TO 
CONTINUE THEIR CRIME WITHOUT WITNESSES." 
 
3.  CLAIMING THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM NEEDS UNDERSTANDING AND 
NOT SOLDIERS, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" 
EDITORIALIZED ON 5/21: 
 
"... THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING BEFORE 
SOLDIERS, IT REQUIRES PUTTING THIS PHENOMENON IN ITS REAL CONTEXT 
AND UNDERSTANDING THE REASONS BEHIND TERRORISM ..." 
 
4.  CONDEMNING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS AND CRITICIZING THE WAY THE 
GULF COUNTRIES DEAL WITH TERRORISTS, DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE 
IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON 5/21: 
 
"... THE PROBLEM THE GULF COUNTRIES FACE IN TERRORISM IS VERY 
COMPLICATED, BECAUSE THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ARE LEAD BY ISLAMIC 
EXTREMISTS GROUPS THAT HAVE FORCED THE GOVERNMENTS TO FACE A 
CONFUSED AND CRITICAL SITUATION ... REFORM IN THE GULF COUNTRIES 
REQUIRES BIG SACRIFICES ON ALL LEVELS, THAT IS WHY WE DON'T 
EXPECT THE GULF COUNTRIES TO MAKE RADICAL IMPROVEMENTS, SINCE 
THIS ASKS FOR THE CREATION OF PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON 
THEMSELVES IN EVERYTHING, INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ON THE GOVERNMENT 
... THROUGH THEIR MEDIA AND SATELLITE CHANNELS, INCLUDING THE NEW 
SAUDI CHANNEL 'AL ARABIYYA,' THE GULF COUNTRIES HAVE PLAYED A 
NEGATIVE ROLE AGAINST U.S. INTERFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. 
WE NEED TO ASK FOR WHOSE BENEFIT IS THE SATELLITE CHANNELS' ANGER 
TOWARDS THE U.S.?  ISN'T IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TERRORIST 
POWERS THAT KEEP ANNOUNCING THEY ARE AGAINST THE AMERICAN 
PRESENCE IN THE REGION?" 
 
5.  URGING THE U.S. TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN SOLVING THE 
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY 
"AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 5/21: 
 
"... THERE IS STILL A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE U.S. TO GAIN A 
LOT OF WHAT IT HAS LOST IN THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC STREET, AND THAT 
IS THROUGH FORCING ISRAEL TO ACCEPT A JUST SOLUTION TO THE 
PALESTINIAN PROBLEM THAT GIVES THE PALESTINIANS A RIGHT TO A 
PALESTINIAN COUNTRY AND THE RIGHT OF RETURN TO REFUGEES AND 
ANNOUNCES JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF PALESTINE.  IF THIS IS NOT 
ACHIEVED, THEN THE REGION WILL NEVER KNOW A JUST PEACE, AND 
AMERICAN INTERESTS WILL NEVER LIVE IN COMFORT WITH THE ARAB AND 
ISLAMIC HATRED INCREASING TOWARDS ITS (U.S.) UNJUST POLICIES 
TOWARDS ARABS AND MUSLIMS AND COMPLETE BIAS FOR ISRAEL." 
 
ALBRIGHT