Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1356
2003-03-21 09:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: WAR WITH IRAQ

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
null
Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:49:07 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM March 21, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1356 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: WAR WITH IRAQ 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01356

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: PAO 
 INFO: POL DCM AMB ECON 
Laser1:
 ACTION: PAO 

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:KVANDEVATE
DRAFTED: PAO:AHOSHAN
CLEARED: PAO:TPONCE

VZCZCADI399
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1356 0800917
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210917Z MAR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8969
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0611
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0669
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001356 

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: WAR WITH IRAQ

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001356

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: WAR WITH IRAQ


1. SUMMARY: THE WAR AGAINST IRAQ CONTINUES TO DOMINATE COVERAGE
IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. EDITORIALS VOICE OFFICIAL AND
PUBLIC CONCERN FOR THE SUFFERING OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. AN "AL-
KHALEEJ' EDITORIAL NOTES THAT THE WAR SYMBOLIZES A DEFEAT FOR
INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMANITY AS A WHOLE. LIKEWISE, AN "AL-
BAYAN" EDITORIAL CLAIMS THAT THE WAR REPRESENTS A DEATH
CERTIFICATE FOR THE UNITED NATIONS. FINALLY, AN "AL-ITTIHAD"
EDITORIAL SAYS THAT THE WAR WILL NOT STOP AS LONG AS THERE ARE
INDIVIDUALS IN THE IRAQI REGIME YEARNING ONLY FOR POWER AND BLIND
TO THE SUFFERING OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE. END SUMMARY.


2. SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED ON 3/21:

"... WHAT HAPPENED IS A CATASTROPHE ABOUT WHICH WE HAVE ALWAYS
WARNED, CALLED TO AVOID, AND URGED EFFORTS TO AVERT. HOWEVER,
THE RELUCTANCE OF SOME AND THE AGITATION OF OTHERS AT THE
SECURITY COUNCIL, AND THE SHARP SPLIT IN DEALING WITH DANGEROUS
ISSUES SUCH AS IRAQ HAVE INCREASED THE TONE OF THE CHALLENGE ...
THUS INCREASING THE SUFFERINGS, HUNGER, AND THIRST OF THE
BROTHERLY IRAQI PEOPLE, FORCED TO LIVE THROUGH THIS THIRD
CATASTROPHIC ADVENTURE IN LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY ...
THE WAR HAS STARTED, WILL NOT STOP, AND WILL REMAIN SO AS LONG AS
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS (IRAQI REGIME) WHOSE DESIRE FOR POWER HAS
BLACKED OUT THEIR EYES FROM SEEING THE SUFFERING OF THEIR OWN
PEOPLE ..."


3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "A DEFEAT OF HUMANITY", SHARJAH-BASED PAN-
ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 3/21:

"... BY THE STANDARDS OF MOST OF THE WORLD'S NATIONS, LARGE AND
SMALL, AND AS MILLIONS VOICED THEIR CONCERNS IN TENS OF CITIES,
THIS WAR HAS BEEN DICTATED. IT IS ILLEGAL AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY
LEGAL JUSTIFICATION. IT IS A SPECIAL WAR LAUNCHED BY THE U.S. TO
ACHIEVE ITS GLOBAL OBJECTIVES OF CONTROL AND HEGEMONY, WHICH IN
OUR PART OF THE WORLD, MEET WITH THOSE OF INTERNATIONAL ZIONISM
... EVERY BULLET FIRED AT IRAQ CARRIES DEATH FOR ITS CIVILIANS.
HOW IS THE SITUATION THEN WHEN THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN PROMISING IRAQIS WITH THOUSANDS OF MUNITIONS INCLUDING SMART
BOMBS, THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS, THE ELECTROMAGNETIC BOMBS, AND
EVEN STRATEGIC NUCLEAR BOMB? THE WAR HAS STARTED AND IT IS A
DREADFUL DEFEAT FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMANITY AS A WHOLE."


4. DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED ON 3/21:

"... THE MOST DANGEROUS ELEMENT IN THE AMERICAN AGGRESSION
AGAINST BROTHERLY IRAQ IS THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR INTERNATIONAL
LAW. IN FACT, AMERICA HAS ABANDONED ALL INTERNATIONAL NORMS AND
CHARTERS, AND THE ENTIRE WORLD HAS COME UNDER ITS CONTROL. WE DO
NOT EXAGGERATE IF WE SAY THAT WHAT AMERICA DID YESTERDAY WAS A
DEATH CERTIFICATE FOR THE UNITED NATIONS SEALED WITH AN AMERICAN
STAMP ... THE WORLD IS IN CHAOS, AND FOR US, ARABS, IT WAS A SAD
DAY, AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ONE OF THOSE BLACK DAYS THAT WE ADD
TO OUR HISTORY RECORDS. WE REMAIN AT A STANDSTILL, DISABLED,
YIELDING AS IF WE ARE SATISFIED WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING."

PUBLIC OPINION READ-OUT


5. A GENERAL MOOD OF CONCERN AND ANGER CONTINUES TO PREVAIL
AMONG MOST EMIRATIS AND LOCAL ARABS. CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS
CONTINUE TO VOICE THEIR DEEP CONCERN FOR THE SITUATION. ONE
CONTACT ASKED: "DO YOU THINK SUCH A WAR WILL BRING DEMOCRACY TO
THE ARAB WORLD? NO. ALL IT BRINGS IS MORE HUMILIATION AND
DEFEAT FOR THE ARABS, MAINLY THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS, WHO KEEP
WONDERING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN ADULTS FIND IT DIFFICULT
TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO THEM. HOW WOULD WE EXPLAIN THE
SURRENDER OF IRAQI SOLDIERS? IT IS ALL DISGRACEFUL."
ALL CONTACTS REMAIN VERY WORRIED ABOUT "THE IRAQI PEOPLE, WHO
HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND CANNOT BEAR FURTHER TRAGEDIES."

WAHBA