US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2949

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002949 
 
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 
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: IRAQ ESCALATION IN THE TERRITORIES 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ESCALATION OF TENSIONS IN IRAQ AND THE WEST BANK 
AND GAZA AND DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ CONTINUED TO GENERATE PROMINENT 
COVERAGE IN PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  AN "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIAL NOTES THAT THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF IRAQ AND THE ISRAELI 
OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE ARE SIMILAR IN STYLE AND OBJECTIVES.  AN 
"AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL COMMENTS THAT THE ESCALATION OF THE 
SITUATION IN IRAQ IS DUE TO THE DELAY IN HANDING OVER IRAQ TO ITS 
OWN PEOPLE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "LIBERATION TURNS INTO OCCUPATION," 
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY EDITORIALIZED 6/18: 
 
"...THE GAME HAS BEGUN TO REVEAL ITS REALITY, AND THE IRAQIS HAVE 
STARTED TO REALIZE THAT THOSE WHO CAME TO LIBERATE THEM, HAVE 
ACTUALLY COME TO ACHIEVE THEIR OWN AMBITIONS AND SCHEMES USING 
MEANS THAT ARE NO LESS UGLY AND HARSH THAN WHAT THEY FACED DURING 
THE YEARS OF TYRANNY.  THE U.S. TROOPS HAVE BEGUN TO SEEK THEIR 
OWN SECURITY AND THAT OF THE IRAQIS, AND THE AMERICAN GOVERNOR IS 
NOT INTERESTED IN HOW TO SECURE A GOOD LIFE FOR THE IRAQIS BUT IN 
HOW TO DIVIDE THE PROFITS FOR AMERICAN AND WESTERN COMPANIES..." 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON THE SIMILARITIES OF THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF IRAQ 
TO THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE, "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 6/15: 
 
"THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE AMERICAN 
OCCUPATION OF IRAQ AND THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE IN 
STYLE AS WELL AS IN OBJECTIVES... IN PALESTINE AS WELL AS IN 
IRAQ, OCCUPATION IMPOSES ITSELF, AND THE PEOPLE'S WILL IS TRYING 
TO EMPHASIZE ITS RIGHT TO RESISTANCE TO GET THEIR LIBERTY BACK. 
IF BOTH OCCUPATIONS COMPLETE ONE ANOTHER AND ARE CONNECTED IN 
GOALS AND STRATEGIES, THEN THE RESISTANCE OF BOTH PEOPLE IS 
UNITED IN OBJECTIVES AS WELL." 
 
4.  NOTING THE CONTINUOUS ESCALATION OF THE TENSION IN THE 
SECURITY SITUATION IN IRAQ RECENTLY, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI- 
GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 6/15: 
 
"... THE CONTINUOUS ESCALATION, AS AN INDICATOR OF MILITARY AND 
SECURITY TENSION IN IRAQ DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS, WOULD NOT HAVE 
TAKEN PLACE...HAD THE COALITION TROOPS HANDED THE AUTHORITY OVER 
TO THE IRAQIS TO RULE THEMSELVES.  THE OBSTRUCTION OF THE 
POLITICAL PROCESS IN IRAQ SIGNALS MORE TROUBLES FOR THE COALITION 
TROOPS AND MORE SUFFERING FOR THE IRAQIS UNLESS THE COALITION 
HAND OVER THE PROCESS TO THE IRAQIS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.  THERE 
IS NO DOUBT THAT THE BROTHERS AND FRIENDS OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE 
WILL REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS TO HELP THE IRAQI PEOPLE OVERCOME THE 
POST-WAR CRISIS FOLLOWING THEIR SUCCESS IN OVERCOMING THE 
OBSTACLE OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME, WHICH WAS 'THE MOTHER OF ALL 
OBSTACLES'." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "SHARON'S WAR AGAINST PEACE," DUBAI-BASED 
BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 6/14: 
 
"... THE BEGINNING OF SHARON'S COMPREHENSIVE TERRORIST WAR 
AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE CAME TO ABORT ANY HOPE FOR 
PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS.  IN FACT, THE WAR ASSASSINATED THE HOPE OF 
PEACE BY PUSHING THE PALESTINIANS TOWARDS A HUGE WALL OF DESPAIR 
AND DISAPPOINTMENT... IF THE ARABS DO NOT MOVE TO SAVE THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, THEN THEIR TURN WILL COME SOON, ACCORDING TO 
A PUBLIC AGENDA THAT AIMS TO MAKE ISRAEL THE ONLY DOMINANT 
REGIONAL PLAYER." 
 
 
 
WAHBA