GETTING OUT THE WORD: PAS ABU DHABI LAUNCHES

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001335 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/PPD WMOONEY; IIP/G/NEA RWINCHESTER; IIP/G/IR CBORYS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KIRC OIIP SUBJECT: GETTING OUT THE WORD: PAS ABU DHABI LAUNCHES AGGRESSIVE IRAQ OUTREACH STRATEGY FOR THE UAE ¶1. SUMMARY: DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION ABU DHABI LAUNCHED AN AGGRESSIVE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OUTREACH STRATEGY FOR THE CURRENT CRISIS WITH IRAQ, USING E-MAIL LIST-SERVES, CD-ROMS, AND OTHER IIP PRODUCTS TO GET OUT THE MESSAGE ON U.S. POLICIES TOWARD IRAQ AND OTHER KEY MIDDLE EAST ISSUES. CONTRARY TO OUR EXPECTATIONS, MEDIA, GOVERNMENT, AND ACADEMIC INTERLOCUTORS HAVE RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO THESE EFFORTS WITH FURTHER REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF OUR MESSAGE ON IRAQ, PAS AND INFORMATION RESEARCH CENTER (IRC) STAFF PLANNED, DEVELOPED, AND IMPLEMENTED A WIDE RANGING OUTREACH STRATEGY TO SPREAD IIP AND PD MATERIALS ON IRAQ TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND KEY MEDIA, GOVERNMENT, AND ACADEMIC CONTACTS. MAJOR SPEECHES, INTERVIEWS, AND POLICY STATEMENTS ARE DISTRIBUTED DAILY TO A SELECT LIST OF KEY CONTACTS. PARTICULAR RECIPIENTS RECEIVE MORE SPECIALIZED IIP PRODUCTS, OFFICE OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS DOCUMENTS, AND WASHINGTON FILE STAFF ARTICLES BASED ON PROFESSIONAL OR PERSONAL INTERESTS. ¶3. GIVEN THE CONNECTIVITY OF EMIRATIS AND OTHER RESIDENTS OF THE UAE, DELIVERY METHODS FOCUS ON EMAIL, THE EMBASSY WEBSITE, FAX, AND CELLULAR TELEPHONE MESSAGING. PAS CREATED A SEPARATE IRC EMAIL ACCOUNT TO DISSEMINATE MATERIALS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY WHILE RECEIVING FEEDBACK AT THE SAME TIME. RESPONSES ARE POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING, PARTICULARLY FROM KEY CONTACTS AT ABU DHABI TV, THE EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY, AND THE UAE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE. ¶4. FOR EXAMPLE: THE "GULF NEWS", THE LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, QUOTED EXTENSIVELY FROM IIP'S "IRAQ'S VOICES FOR FREEDOM" IN A 1300-WORD ARTICLE PUBLISHED FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2003, AND ENTITLED "IRAQIS WANT DEMOCRACY TO SHAPE FUTURE" WITH SUBTITLE: "EXILES WANT A FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATE; SEE (THEIR) COUNTRY AS THE JAPAN OF MIDDLE EAST." AUTHOR SHAZIA MALIK DIRECTLY QUOTED THE IRAQI EXILES FEATURED IN "IRAQ'S VOICES FOR FREEDOM" AND ATTRIBUTED IRC ABU DHABI FOR THE INFORMATION. MS. MALIK SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED IRC STAFF FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE COSTS OF REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN. WAHBA