US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2623

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002623 
 
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: G8 SUMMIT POTUS EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST 
VISIT ROADMAP IRAQ 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  PRESIDENT BUSH'S PARTICIPATION IN THE G-8 SUMMIT 
AND THE ANTICIPATED SUMMITS IN SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA AND THE 
RECONSTRUCTION IN IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND 
ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ALLEGED THAT 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT IS JUST TO TELL ARABS THAT THEY SHOULD 
LEARN A LESSON FROM WHAT HAPPENED IN IRAQ.  IN "AL ITTIHAD," DR. 
SHAMLAN AL EISSA CRITICIZED THE GULF COUNTRIES ATTITUDE TOWARDS 
U.S. POLICY IN THE REGION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  DISCUSSING BUSH'S VISIT TO THE REGION, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB 
DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/03: 
 
"... THERE IS CONCERN THAT BUSH'S VISIT TO SHARM AL SHEIKH AND 
AQABA IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ARAB SURRENDER AS BUSH AND SHARON 
WILL NOT REST WHILE THERE IS STILL RESISTANCE IN THE REGION.  AND 
THE CONCERN INCREASES IN THE SHADOW OF TALKS FOR DEALS THAT WILL 
BE ARRANGED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE INTIFADA AND THE BLOOD OF 
THOUSANDS OF MARTYRS AND WOUNDED ..." 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON A STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD CHENEY ON 
THE WAR ON TERRORISM, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 6/02: 
 
"...IT SEEMS THAT BUSH'S "PEACOCK" VISIT (NOTE: MEANING THAT THE 
VISIT IS ONLY FOR APPEARANCES) WILL NOT BE AN EXCEPTION SINCE ITS 
MAIN AIM IS TO TELL ARABS, ALL ARABS, THAT IRAQ WAS ATTACKED AND 
OCCUPIED SO THAT THEY MIGHT LEARN A LESSON, AND WORK WITH HIM 
(BUSH) TO ELIMINATE THE DISOBEDIENT AND RESISTANT COUNTRIES AND 
GROUPS, OR ELSE THEY (ARABS) WILL BE DESTROYED AND CUT INTO 
PIECES IN THE CHENEY WAY." 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE," "AL 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/01: 
 
"... THAT EVEN THE BEGINNING ACHIEVES ISRAELI SECURITY, THIS 
MEANS THAT THE ARABS WILL PAY THE PRICE OF PEACE BEFORE THEY GET 
THEIR RIGHTS, AND THAT THE PALESTINIANS WILL BE PAYING A DOUBLE 
PRICE THAT MIGHT DESTROY THEIR EXISTENCE BEFORE THEY REACH THEIR 
PROMISED STATE.  THIS IS WHAT IS FEARED FROM THE UPCOMING BUSH 
VISIT THIS WEEK, SINCE THE CONTINUATION OF PLACING THE CART IN 
FRONT OF THE HORSE MEANS THE CONTINUATION OF A DECEPTION THAT IS 
BASED ON ACHIEVING BOTH OCCUPATION AND SECURITY, WHILE THE 
PALESTINIAN ONLY RECEIVES PROMISES." 
 
4.  CRITICIZING THE GULF COUNTRIES ATTITUDE TOWARDS U.S. POLICY 
IN THE REGION, DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI- 
GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON 6/01: 
 
"ALTHOUGH THE STATEMENTS OF GULF OFFICIALS IN THEIR NEWSPAPERS 
AND MEDIA SHOW THEIR HATRED AND DISAGREEMENT TOWARDS THE U.S. 
POLICY IN THE REGION, THE TRUTH REMAINS THAT THE GULF COUNTRIES 
ARE RUNNING IN EVERY WAY THEY CAN TOWARDS THE U.S. IN AN ATTEMPT 
TO PLEASE IT IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE (THEMSELVES) A SEAT ON THE 
FAST AMERICAN TRAIN THAT IS CRAWLING THROUGH THE REGION ... WHAT 
THE U.S. WANTS FROM THE GULF COUNTRIES IS AS CLEAR AS THE SUN, TO 
CHANGE AND DETERMINE YOUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, BROADEN PUBLIC 
PARTICIPATION, AND SEEK THE PROTECTION OF CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS 
IN YOUR COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO CHALLENGE OTHERS, OR ELSE THE 
CHANGE IN THE REGION IS DEFINITELY COMING ..." 
 
5.  COMMENTING ON THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AND THE MANY AMERICAN 
"PROMISES" TO IRAQIS, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/31: 
 
"... THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION THINKS THAT ATTACKING IRAQ AND ITS 
OCCUPYING IS A REFUGE TO EMPHASIZE ITS POWER AND STRENGTH IN 
ORDER TO CONVINCE AMERICANS THAT IT WILL ATTACK WHOEVER 
CHALLENGES IT IN REVENGE FOR THE 9/11 ATTACKS IN NEW YORK AND 
WASHINGTON, AND ALSO TO GUARANTEE A SECOND PRESIDENTIAL 
ADMINISTRATION FOR GEORGE BUSH.  BUT THE IRAQI PEOPLE WILL NOT 
ALLOW FOR ALL THAT TO HAPPEN AT THEIR EXPENSE, AND WHAT IS 
HAPPENING IN IRAQ NOW IS ONLY THE BEGINNING." 
 
6.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "SHARON IS STILL DREAMING," "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 5/30: 
 
"... BETS ARE STILL ON REGARDING THE POWER, UNITY, AND SOLIDARITY 
OF THE PALESTINIAN FRONT, AND ALL OF ITS LEADERS KNOW THE DANGERS 
BEHIND THE ISRAELI REQUEST ...  THIS FRONT, THROUGH ITS 
SOLIDARITY AND UNITY, WILL BE ABLE TO BURY THE ZIONIST DREAM AS 
IT DID BEFORE, AND WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT ITS ACHIEVEMENTS IN 
ORDER TO GO ON WITH THE STRUGGLE TO OBTAIN ITS PEOPLE'S 
LEGITIMATE RIGHTS." 
 
7.  COMMENTING ON THE UPCOMING SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS, 
"AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/29: 
 
"... SHARM AL SHEIKH OR AQABA OR ANY OTHER SUMMIT WILL ALWAYS 
SERVE AS TRIALS TO REASSURE (THE U.S. AND ISRAEL) OF THE GOOD 
WILL OF THE ARABS, JUST LIKE ALL PREVIOUS SUMMITS BEFORE THEM, 
AND THEY (THE TWO EXPECTED SUMMITS) WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY 
PRACTICAL REVERBERATION OR REAL ACCEPTANCE FROM THE U.S. EXCEPT 
WHEN THE ARABS CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDE AND MAKE OTHERS SENSE THEIR 
SERIOUSNESS AND THEIR ABILITY TO ACT AND NOT ONLY LISTEN." 
 
WAHBA