US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI3584

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003584 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/NEA (RCALIS); NEA/ARP (LMALENAS); 
NEA/PPD (DMACINNES, JDAVIES, DRCROFT); NEA/P (GSULLIVAN, 
ACASPER) NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B 
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:  AL KHALEEJ SAYS "HI" MAGAZINE A "STATE 
DEPARTMENT" VEHICLE "TO CONTROL THE MINDS OF ARAB YOUTH" 
 
1.  SUMMARY AND COMMENT:  ON 07/31, SHARJAH-BASED PAN- 
ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" LABELED "HI" MAGAZINE AN 
"OBVIOUS" "STATE DEPARTMENT" ATTEMPT TO "CONTROL THE 
MINDS OF ARAB YOUTHS."  DESPITE THE NEGATIVE RHETORIC, 
THE UAE'S MOST WIDELY READ ARABIC DAILY WILL LIKELY 
GENERATE SIGNIFICANT INTEREST TO SEE JUST EXACTLY WHAT 
"HI" MAGAZINE HAS TO OFFER UAE NATIONAL AND ARAB 
EXPATRIATE YOUTH.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
1.  ON 07/31, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" 
PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING ON "HI" MAGAZINE: 
 
"IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO 
CONTROL THE MINDS OF ARAB YOUTHS. THE LAUNCH OF 'RADIO 
SAWA,' WHICH PLAYS BOTH ARABIC AND ENGLISH SONGS, AIMS 
AT SENDING A MESSAGE THAT PROMISES A NEW WORLD ORDER AND 
OPPOSES ALL THOUGHTS AND IDEAS AGAINST THE AMERICAN WAY 
OF LIFE." 
 
"THE UNITED STATES WASN'T SATISFIED WITH 'SAWA' AND SO 
IT IS PUBLISHING A MAGAZINE IN ARABIC, 'HI,' WHICH 
TARGETS THE YOUTH IN THE MIDDLE EAST. 'HI,' WHICH IS A 
GREETING WORD IN ENGLISH, WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE 
MARKET THIS MONTH.  THE NAMES OF THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH 
'HI' WILL BE CIRCULATED APPEAR ON THE FRONT PAGE, AND 
THE ORDER OF THESE COUNTRIES SHOWS THE PRIORITIES OF 
THOSE WHO THE MAGAZINE TARGETS.  THE LIST STARTS WITH 
EGYPT AND SAUDI ARABIA AND ENDS WITH ALGERIA, THE WEST 
BANK, AND THE GAZA STRIP ALONG WITH ISRAEL." 
 
"THE UNITED STATES IS TRYING THROUGH THIS MEDIA PROJECT 
TO CHANGE THE CURRENT NEGATIVE IMAGE OF THE U.S. AMONG 
ARABS, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE WAR IN IRAQ.  THE MONTHLY 
MAGAZINE WILL COVER AND PROMOTE ISSUES ABOUT AMERICAN 
CULTURE AND COUNTER NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA AND ANTI- 
AMERICAN FEELINGS IN THE MIDDLE EAST." 
 
"IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF 'HI,' AN ARTICLE APPEARED ABOUT A 
COVERED MUSLIM GIRL WHO ADMITTED THAT WHEN SHE FIRST 
ARRIVED TO THE U.S., SHE HAD A NEGATIVE IMAGE ABOUT 
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND LIFE.  LATER, SHE DISCOVERED THAT 
AMERICAN MOVIES CONCENTRATED MORE ON ACTION RATHER THAN 
REALITY.  SHE DESCRIBED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AS FRIENDLY 
AND MODEST." 
 
"HOPING TO KEEP SOME SORT OF CONNECTION WITH THE READERS 
FROM THE ARAB WORLD, THE FIRST ISSUE OF 'HI' MAGAZINE 
INCLUDED QUESTIONS, WHICH WERE ANSWERED VIA E-MAIL. 
OTHER SECTIONS, SUCH AS 'QUESTIONS FROM THE STATES,' 
'QUESTIONS TO THE STATES,' 'AMERICAN MOMENTS,' AND 'MY 
STORY,' WILL APPEAR IN EVERY ISSUE." 
 
"THE AMERICANS CAREFULLY DESIGNED 'HI' TO ENSURE 
INAPPROPRIATE IMAGES DO NOT APPEAR IN THE MAGAZINE. 
THIS SHOWS THAT A LOT OF RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED ON THE 
MINDSET OF ARAB YOUTHS AND THEIR SOCIAL LIFE BEFORE 
PUBLISHING THE MAGAZINE.  INSTEAD, MANY PICTURES OF ARAB 
GIRLS, ESPECIALLY COVERED ONES, SITTING NEXT TO AMERICAN 
GIRLS APPEAR IN THE MAGAZINE.  THIS SHOWS THAT THEY WILL 
FOLLOW THE SAME PATH IN THE FUTURE." 
 
"AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, (US PRESIDENT GEORGE) BUSH SAID 
THAT THE WORLD HAS TO BE INTRODUCED TO WHAT HE CALLED 
'AMERICAN JUSTICE.'  THEN, IN THIS NEW PHASE, WHERE WILL 
AMERICAN CULTURE LEAD US?" 
 
WAHBA