US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2968

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002968 
 
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: POWELL'S VISIT IRAQ 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ISSUES FEATURED IN THE LOCAL MEDIA INCLUDED THE WEF 
MEETING IN JORDAN, U.S. EFFORTS TO ACTIVATE PEACE BETWEEN THE 
PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, AND IRAQ.  A COLUMNIST WARNED AGAINST 
THE WEF, SAYING THAT IT WAS FIRST INITIATED BY SHIMON PERES AND 
NOTING THAT THE ROOT OF THE MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM IS THE (ISRAELI) 
OCCUPATION.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL-KHALEEJ" WARNED AGAINST ALLEGED 
ISRAELI AMBITIONS IN IRAQ, URGING ALL ARABS TO COUNTER THEM.  A 
COLUMNIST IN "AL-ITTIHAD" ASSERTED THAT THE ABSENCE OF DEMOCRACY 
AND THE FLOURISHING OF POLITICAL ISLAM ARE THE LEADING FACTORS 
THAT HAVE PREVENTED ARAB WOMEN FROM FULL PARTICIPATION IN 
POLITICAL LIFE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE 'THE BURIAL OF THE MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC 
PROJECT," PSEUDONYMOUS COLUMNIST IBN AL-DEIRA WROTE IN SHARJAH- 
BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" 6/21: 
 
"THE DAVOS INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM CONVENES AT THIS TIME IN 
AN ARAB COUNTRY ON THE BANKS OF THE DEAD SEA, FOLLOWING ISRAELI 
EXPANSIONIST POLICIES' FREEZE OF ALL ECONOMIC MEETINGS OF THIS 
NATURE DURING THE LAST SIX YEARS... WHAT'S NEW ABOUT THIS 
EXCEPTIONAL MEETING ON THE DEAD SEA IS THAT THE PROMOTER OF THIS 
INITIATIVE IS NOT SHIMON PERES BUT THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT GEORGE 
BUSH, WHO IS DROWNING IN IRAQ'S SHIFTING SANDS, AND WHO IS LOST 
IN THE NARROW STREETS OF A CONFUSING MAP FOR A ROAD TOWARDS PEACE 
IN PALESTINE.  THE OBJECTIVE CONDITIONS FOR THE SUCCESS OF ANY 
ECONOMIC PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE EAST CONTINUE TO BE ABSENT AND 
BURIED BENEATH PALESTINIAN ASHES AND BODIES DESTROYED BY SHARON'S 
TANKS AND PLANES...THE ARAB CITIZEN DOES NOT NEED ANYONE TO 
PROVOKE HIM AGAINST U.S. POLICIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.  SHARON IS 
CAPABLE OF DOING SO, AND DREAMING OF ECONOMIC CONFERENCES WILL DO 
NO GOOD FOR THE DEAD SEA MEETING.  THE ROOTS OF TERRORISM ARE THE 
OCCUPATION." 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "ISRAEL IS IN IRAQ," "AL-KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 6/21: 
 
"THE DANGER THAT THREATENS IRAQ AND THE REST OF THE ARAB REGION 
IS NOT ONLY REPRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN MILITARY OCCUPATION, BUT 
ALSO BY ISRAELI SECURITY AND ECONOMIC ATTEMPTS TO PENETRATE INTO 
THE IRAQI ARENA THROUGH THE OCCUPATION.... IRAQ HAS BECOME AN 
OCCUPIED COUNTRY LACKING INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY, AND ITS 
PEOPLE LACKING FREEDOM, WHILE ITS DESTINY AND FUTURE WILL BE 
DEFINED ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN WILL.  THEREFORE, THE MISSION 
OF COUNTERING ISRAELI EXPANSION INTO IRAQ IS NOT THE 
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE ALONE.  THE ARAB COUNTRIES ARE 
REQUIRED TO WAKE UP FROM THEIR STATE OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS TO 
CONFRONT AN IMMINENT DANGER..." 
 
4.  KUWAITI COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN YOUSUF AL-EISSA WROTE IN SEMI- 
OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" 6/22: 
 
"...WHY HAVE ARAB WOMEN NOT HAD THEIR RIGHTS DESPITE LONG YEARS 
OF STRUGGLE?  WE BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, WHICH 
WE WOULD NOT FIND APPROPRIATE TO MENTION HERE.  HOWEVER, WE CAN 
SAY THAT THE BACKWARDNESS OF ARAB SOCIETIES, THE ABSENCE OF FREE 
DEMOCRATIC REGIMES, THE PREVALENCE OF TOTALITARIAN PARTIES AND 
THE FLOURISHING OF POLITICAL ISLAM IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ARE ALL 
FACTORS THAT HELPED TO FOIL THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT IN THE ARAB 
WORLD..." 
 
WAHBA