MEDIA REACTION: MARCH 7 UN SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001124 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR 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: MARCH 7 UN SECURITY COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS, ISRAEL, AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES ¶1. SUMMARY: DELIBERATIONS AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND RECENT ESCALATIONS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE IN LOCAL MEDIA. NEWS REPORTING AND EDITORIALS WIDELY ASSERT THAT THE U.S. IS DETERMINED TO ATTACK IRAQ REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTING AT THE UN. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT THE U.S. IS PLANNING TO DIVIDE IRAQ, AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES LATER, INTO ETHNIC AND SECTARIAN ENTITIES. OTHER EDITORIALS CRITICIZED THE MILD U.S. REACTION TOWARDS ISRAELI KILLINGS OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS. END SUMMARY. ¶2. LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRINT AND BROADCAST MEDIA FEATURED COVERAGE AND REACTION TO RECENT REMARKS ON IRAQ BY SECRETARY POWELL AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND PRESIDENT BUSH DURING THE MARCH 6 WHITE HOUSE PRESS CONFERENCE. ABU DHABI TV, AL JAZEERA, THE MIDDLE EAST BROADCAST CENTER (MBC), AND NEW ARABIC NEWS CHANNEL, AL ARABIYYA, CARRIED LIVE COVERAGE OF THE MARCH 7TH UNSC DELIBERATIONS WITH COMMENTARY IN ADDITION TO ANALYSIS OF SECRETARY POWELL'S AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S RECENT REMARKS. ¶3. COMMENTING ON ALLEGED U.S. PLANS FOR IRAQ AFTER THE ANTICIPATED ATTACKS, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/09: "... AMERICAN OFFICIALS REVEALED THAT IRAQ WILL BE DIVIDED INTO THREE AREAS: NORTHERN, MIDDLE, AND SOUTHERN. THESE WILL BE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THREE AMERICANS: THE PREVIOUS AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO YEMEN, BARBARA BODINE, AND TWO RETIRED U.S. GENERALS. THIS ... WILL ALSO DIVIDE IT INTO ETHNIC AND SECTARIAN ENTITIES, WHICH WILL LEAD TO A CIVIL WAR THAT WILL DESTROY WHATEVER IS LEFT OF IRAQ. THIS IS A SAMPLE OF WHAT AWAITS OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES, AS IT IS A ZIONIST PLAN, DRAFTED FOR THE AMERICAN STRATEGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THE PERIOD AFTER 9/11, IN ORDER TO RESHAPE THE REGION GEOGRAPHICALLY AND POLITICALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICAN AND ISRAELI INTERESTS ..." ¶4. COMMENTING ON THE MARCH 7TH UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/08: "... FRANCE, RUSSIA, CHINA, GERMANY, AND ALL ARAB AND ISLAMIC SUMMITS SAY: 'NO TO WAR.' PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAD AND ARE STILL HAVING ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS. DESPITE ALL THIS, THE ONLY THING THAT THE U.S. CAN THINK OF IS FABRICATING EXCUSES FOR ITS ATTACKS AGAINST IRAQ. THE MEANING OF ALL THIS WAS SUMMARIZED BY THE SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WHEN HE SAID: 'IT'S JUST ARMED BURGLARY' AND NOTHING ELSE. GEORGE BUSH'S REMARKS (INDICATING) NO REQUIREMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL AUTHORIZATION CONFIRM THIS. THE BURGLARY BEGINS WITH THE ASSASSINATION OF INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE IN ARAB ISSUES. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PALESTINE AND WILL HAPPEN IN IRAQ ARE GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT." ¶5. UNDER THE HEADLINE 'BUSH'S COWBOY MENTALITY,' DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/08: "... PRESIDENT BUSH ANNOUNCED: 'IF WE NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ, WE DEFINITELY WILL, WITHOUT UN APPROVAL.' THE RIGHT TRANSLATION OF THIS IS: IF THE UN DOES NOT ABIDE BY OUR ORDERS AND DOES NOT APPROVE THE KILLING OF IRAQ, THEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT (THE UNITED NATIONS) AND EVERY MEMBER SHOULD JUST LEAVE NEW YORK AND GO BACK TO WHERE S/HE CAME FROM ..." ¶6. COMMENTING ON THE U.S. SILENCE TOWARDS THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/08: "... THE U.S. SILENCE TOWARDS THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE BUTCHER SHARON AND THE GANG OF KILLERS AROUND HIM MUST BE CONSIDERED COLLUSION. IN FACT, CLOSING THE EYE FROM THE BLOODSHED TAKING PLACE IN PALESTINE REPRESENTS AN ACTUAL PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTINUOUS CRIME AGAINST OUR BROTHERS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE ..." ¶7. COMMENTING ON THE SUICIDE OPERATION IN HAIFA, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/07: "... THE HEROIC OPERATION IN HAIFA PROVED WITH NO DOUBT THAT ALL ISRAELI GAMBLES ARE ALWAYS DOOMED TO FAILURE AND THAT NO COLONIALIST WILL BE SAFE OR SECURE AS LONG AS THE OCCUPATION AND ATTACKS ARE STILL GOING ON ..." ¶8. DESCRIBING THE UAE INITIATIVE AS 'THE SAFE EXIT,' ABU DHABI- BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/07: "... IN RESPECT TO THE GIVEN FACTS, THE UAE INITIATIVE IS THE MOST PRACTICAL PROPOSAL AND PRECIOUS ADVISE THAT COULD SAVE FACE FOR ALL PARTIES. IT REPRESENTS A SAFE EXIT, WHICH WILL RESCUE EVERYONE FROM THE CRISIS. IT IS ALSO THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE THE SPECTER OF WAR AND DESTRUCTION FROM IRAQ." ¶9. COMMENTING ON THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUICIDE BOMBINGS, "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/07: "... IT WON'T BE A SURPRISE IF WE ARE TOLD THAT THE BUTCHER SHARON HAS ORDERED MORE MASSACRES AND MORE PALESTINIAN TRANSFERS AND BANISHMENTS. ARABS' PREOCCUPATION WITH THE IRAQI CRISIS SHOULD NOT MAKE THEM INADVERTENT OF THE ISRAELI CRIMES. AN UNIFIED ARAB MOVE TO PROTECT AND SAVE THE PALESTINIANS FROM DAILY ANNIHILATION IS NEEDED." ¶10. COMPARING THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE RECENT OIC SUMMIT AND NAM CONFERENCE, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/06: "... THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S SEPARATION BETWEEN 'EVIL', SYMBOLIZED BY U.S. AND ITS ALLIES, AND 'GOOD', SYMBOLIZED BY PROMOTERS OF PEACE SUCH AS FRANCE, RUSSIA, GERMANY, AND THEIR ALLIES, IN ORDER TO CREATE A NEW MULTI-POLAR WORLD. THE BATTLE IS STILL AT ITS BEGINNING, SO THE ARABS AND MUSLIMS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A SAY IN ACTIONS AND NOT IN WORDS ONLY." ¶11. CRITICIZING THE OIC SUMMIT'S RESOLUTIONS, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 3/06: "... THE DOHA SUMMIT FOLLOWED THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALL OTHER ARAB AND ISLAMIC SUMMITS IN ANNOUNCING MANY ENTHUSIASTIC RESOLUTIONS WITHOUT A SOLUTION FOR THE COMPLICATED AND DANGEROUS ISSUES THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC WORLD ..." WAHBA