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