US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2796

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002796 
 
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:  SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS WMD 
IN IRAQ ISRAEL ATTACKS HAMAS LEADERS 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS, THE US 
"FAILURE" TO FIND WMD IN IRAQ, AND ISRAEL'S ATTACK ON HAMAS 
LEADERS GENERATED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRINT 
AND SATELLITE MEDIA.  AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL COMMENTED ON 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S "ANNOYANCE" AT THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON 
HAMAS LEADER ABDULAZIZ AL RANTEESI YESTERDAY.   UNDER THE "AL 
ITTIHAD" HEADLINE, "FUTURE OF IRAQ," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA 
COMMENTED ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAQ.  ANOTHER "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT THE U.S. "FAILURE" TO FIND WMD IN IRAQ IS 
A "STORM" IN THE FACE OF PRESIDENT BUSH AND PM BLAIR.  AN "AL 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ASSERTED THAT THE U.S. IS NOT ALLOWING OTHER 
PARTIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL BAYAN" CARRIED 
A TWO-PART INTERVIEW WITH FORMER IRAQI REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UN 
MOHAMMED AL DOURI.  DURING HIS INTERVIEW, HE CRITICIZED THE 
PREVIOUS REGIME AND ALL THE CRIMES COMMITTED DURING THAT ERA. 
MR. AL DOURI ALSO CLAIMED THAT ALL THAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ, 
INCLUDING THE LOOTING, WAS PLANNED BY THE U.S. AND THAT U.S. 
POLICY IN IRAQ MIGHT LEAD TO A CIVIL WAR. 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT OF ABDULAZIZ AL 
RANTEESI YESTERDAY AND ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S "ANNOYANCE" TOWARDS 
WHAT HAPPENED, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 6/11: 
 
"... THE GOAL BEHIND THIS ATTEMPT IS OBVIOUS ... THAT IS WHY IT 
DESERVES THE AMERICAN ANGER THAT WAS RIGHT ON TIME ... ISRAEL 
SHOULD STOP ITS POLICY OF DELUDING THE WORLD AND SHOULD REALIZE 
THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO REALLY JOIN A SERIOUS AND JUST PEACE 
PROCESS WHICH HAS LONG BEEN AWAITED IN THE REGION." 
 
4.  CRITICIZING ISRAEL'S ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON AL RANTEESI, 
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/11: 
 
"... THERE IS NO SOLUTION WITH THESE ASSASSINS.  AFTER 55 YEARS 
OF 'ATTEMPTING' THEM, IT IS TIME FOR THE CONCERNED PEOPLE IN 
PALESTINE AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES TO STOP THESE 'ATTEMPTS' AND 
'TESTS' THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE SURRENDER OF THE WHOLE REGION, NOT 
ONLY PALESTINE, TO THOSE 'NAZIS' AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM AND 
COVER UP FOR THEIR MASSACRES ..." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "WHO WILL STOP SHARON," ABU DHABI-BASED 
PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 6/11: 
 
"... THE GOVERNMENT OF SHARON WILL NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
EMPHASIZE ITS HOSTILITY TOWARDS PEACE AND ITS INSISTENCE ON 
BURYING ANY CHANCE FOR THIS PROCESS (PEACE).  THE OBLIGATION OF 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS TO EXPRESS ITS REFUSAL OF THIS 
GOVERNMENT'S HOSTILE AND IMMORAL BEHAVIOR ..." 
 
6.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "MOTHER OF SCANDALS," "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 6/10: 
 
"... THE SCANDALS OF ATTACKS AND OCCUPATION WILL NOT END, THE 
WEAPONS ISSUE IS A LIE, THE UNNEEDED DEMOCRACY, HANDING OVER THE 
POSTPONED ADMINISTRATION TO IRAQIS, THE OIL THAT IS BEING STOLEN, 
AND THE INSECURITY AND INSTABILITY ARE ALL INITIAL INDICATIONS OF 
THE 'MOTHER OF SCANDALS'." 
 
7.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "FUTURE OF IRAQ," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA 
WROTE IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 6/08: 
 
"... NO ONE CAN DENY THAT THE U.S. TROOPS OCCUPYING IRAQ HAVE 
PARTICIPATED LARGELY IN THE DETERIORATION OF THE SITUATION ... 
MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THE POLITICAL FUMBLING OF THE U.S. IN IRAQ 
THROUGH THE GOVERNOR OF BAGHDAD ... WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR THE 
IRAQI PEOPLE AFTER ITS LIBERATION?  THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE 
NATIONAL POWERS ARE STILL IN CONFLICT REGARDING A CLEAR WORK 
PROGRAM, THAT IS WHY IT WILL BE A MESS IF THE AMERICANS LEAVE 
IRAQ BEFORE STARTING A NEW FOUNDATION OPERATING IN DEMOCRACY, 
DIVERSITY, AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ... THE IRAQI PEOPLE 
SHOULD INSIST ON REQUESTING THAT THE OCCUPYING TROOPS ORGANIZE 
THE SITUATION IN IRAQ ... THE GULF COUNTRIES HAVE A BIG 
RESPONSIBILITY IN HELPING THE IRAQI PEOPLE OVERCOME THEIR CRISIS. 
HUMANITARIAN AID AND PARTICIPATING IN RECONSTRUCTION ARE TWO 
POSITIVE STEPS, BUT WHAT IS ALSO NEEDED IS THAT THE GULF 
COUNTRIES, THROUGH THEIR SATELLITE TV CHANNELS, SHOULD CALM 
THINGS DOWN AND NOT MOBILIZE THE ARAB STREET AGAINST THE U.S ..." 
 
8.  COMMENTING ON THE U.S. TAKING SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE 
ROADMAP, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/07: 
 
"... FOR THE U.S. TO BE THE ONLY DECISION MAKER, THIS WILL NOT 
FULFILL THE DESIRED LASTING SOLUTION AND FAIR RESPONSIBILITY IN 
THE LEAST, SINCE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION 
MINIMIZES ANY HOPE OF A JUST SOLUTION.  AGAIN THE U.S., 
'VICTORIOUS' IN IRAQ, IMPOSED ITS REGIONAL AGENDA BY DOMINATING 
THE DECISION FOR A SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE ON THE BASIS 
OF GUARANTEEING THE 'ZIONIST COUNTRY'S' SECURITY, EVEN IF THIS 
MEANS CREATING A PALESTINIAN CIVIL WAR SEEDED AT BOTH THE SHARM 
AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS." 
 
9.  URGING THAT ALL CONFLICTS AMONG PALESTINIANS BE OVERCOME, "AL- 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 6/07: 
 
"... WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL 
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE AGAINST PALESTINIAN AND ARAB BENEFITS, 
WHICH IS WHY ALL PALESTINIAN SIDES SHOULD REACH A UNIFIED VISION 
IN ORDER TO OVERCOME ALL CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES THAT THE 
OCCUPATION IS TRYING TO PUT BEFORE THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ..." 
 
10.  COMMENTING ON THE U.S. "FAILURE" TO FIND WMD IN IRAQ AS A 
"STRONG" IN BUSH AND BLAIR'S FACES BUT ASSERTING THAT THE ISSUE 
FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE WAS NOT WMD BUT GETTING RID OF THE REGIME, 
"AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 6/06: 
 
"... ALTHOUGH BUSH AND BLAIR FAILED TO FIND EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY 
THEIR WAR, THE IRAQI PEOPLE ARE SCORING SUCCESS EACH DAY BY 
REVEALING THE CRIMES OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME ... SO THE ISSUE FOR 
THE IRAQI PEOPLE WAS NOT FINDING THE WMD ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ITS 
FIRST VICTIMS, BUT THE ISSUE WAS GETTING RID OF THE REGIME THAT 
MADE IRAQ A PRISON ..." 
 
11.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "NOT FOR PEACE," "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 6/05: 
 
"... THROUGH A THOROUGH READING OF WHAT WAS ANNOUNCED FOLLOWING 
THE SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS, WE COULD SIMPLY UNDERSTAND 
THE INDICATION THAT THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM- WHATEVER ITS 
MOTIVES AND REASONS- MEANS THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE AND NO ONE 
ELSE, AND WHICH MEANS THAT WHAT ISRAEL COMMITS AGAINST THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THIS DESCRIPTION 
(TERRORISM) ... PRESIDENT BUSH'S CONCERN IS NOT PEACE WITHIN ITS 
TRUE MEANING, BUT HIS CONCERN IS TO INSURE AMERICAN PEACE IN THE 
REGION AFTER OCCUPYING IRAQ, IN ADDITION TO GUARANTEEING ISRAEL'S 
SECURITY EVEN IF THROUGH A PALESTINIAN CIVIL WAR, AND ALSO 
PLACING SYRIA AND LEBANON ON THE SHELF UNTIL THEIR TURN COMES 
FOLLOWING THE END OF THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE, SINCE THE 
REQUEST IS THE SAME: ERASING ANY RESISTANCE AND ANY STAND THAT 
MAY STOP AGREEMENTS WITH ZIONIST CONDITIONS." 
 
WAHBA