Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1431
2003-03-25 10:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ POWS ABU DHABI TV

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:46:01 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM March 25, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1431 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ POWS ABU DHABI TV 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01431

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

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

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

VZCZCADI602
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1431/01 0841047
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251047Z MAR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9068
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0618
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0676
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001431 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE
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 IN IRAQ POWS ABU DHABI TV

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001431

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE
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 IN IRAQ POWS ABU DHABI TV


1. SUMMARY: THE WAR IN IRAQ, THE U.S. BOMBING OF THE AL
AATHAMIA AREA OF BAGHDAD, AND UAE HUMANITARIAN AID FOR THE IRAQI
PEOPLE DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
UNDER THE HEADLINE, "A CONVENTION FOR ALL," A "GULF NEWS"
EDITORIAL CRITICIZED U.S. TREATMENT OF POWS. AN "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIAL ASSERTS THE U.S. VALUES OIL MORE THAN PEOPLE. IN AN
"AL KHALEEJ" OP-ED, DR. ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLA LISTS THE OPTIONS
AVAILABLE FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE IN THEIR WAR AGAINST THE U.S. END
SUMMARY.


2. UNLIKE AL JAZEERA, ABU DHABI TV AND AL ARABIYYAH SATELLITE TV
DID NOT BROADCAST VIDEO FOOTAGE OF U.S. TROOPS HANDCUFFING
SURRENDERING IRAQI SOLDIERS. SIMILARLY, ABU DHABI TV BROADCAST
ONLY BLURRED IMAGES OF U.S. POWS WITHOUT SOUND. DURING A 3/24
INTERVIEW INITIATED WITH ABU DHABI TV, JASSEM AL SAQR, KUWAITI
PARLIAMENTARIAN AND FORMER JOURNALIST, COMPLAINED THAT ARAB
SATELLITE TV COVERAGE PERPETUATES THE PERCEPTION THAT ARABS BLAME
KUWAIT FOR THE WAR. AL SAQR THEN ACCUSED THE MAJORITY OF ARAB
SATELLITE TV STATIONS OF SUPPORTING ONLY IRAQ.


3. DUBAI TV AND RADIO WILL AIR A 12-HOUR TELETHON ENTITLED "OUR
PEOPLE IN IRAQ." TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HUMANITARIAN AID. THE
PROGRAM WILL ACCEPT TELEPHONE CALLS FROM CONCERNED LISTENERS TO
VOICE SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND PLEDGE DONATIONS.


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "A CONVENTION FOR ALL," DUBAI-BASED
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 3/25:

"IT SEEMS THAT THE GEORGE W. BUSH CAMP SUFFERS FROM A MASSIVE
MEMORY LAPSE IN DEMANDING THAT ITS CAPTURED SOLDIERS BE TREATED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENEVA CONVENTION ... THE U.S. STAND IS
IRONIC IN THAT ITS PAST ACTIONS IN RELATION TO POWS DO NOT
MEASURE UP TO THOSE HIGH STANDARDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY
... AMONG A CATALOGUE OF ABUSES IN THIS REGARD IS THE TREATMENT
METED OUT IN 2001 TO PRISONERS HELD AT MAZAR-E-SHARIF IN
AFGHANISTAN ... ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THAT OF THE MORE THAN 650
DETAINERS HELD AT GUANTANAMO BAY. THE FIRST PICTURES SHOWED THEM
BLINDFOLDED, SHACKLED, AND CHAINED IN SIX-BY-EIGHT-FOOT CAGES
EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. RUMSFELD HAD SAID THEN THAT HE DID NOT
'FEEL THE SLIGHTEST CONCERN' FOR THE PRISONERS' TREATMENT."


5. CLAIMING THE U.S. BELIEVES OIL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE,
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 3/25:

"... (THE U.S. BELIEVES THAT) OIL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE,
AND CHANGING THE WHOLE REGION WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
PEOPLE AND THEIR RIGHTS. THIS IS AN OCCUPIER'S POLICY, WHICH IS
RENEWED AUTOMATICALLY OVER THE DECADES. THIS POLICY USES KILLING
AND DESTRUCTION AS ITS TOOLS, IN ADDITION TO CHEATING, DECEIVING,
AND HYPOCRISY ... ROBBING THE IRAQI PEOPLE OF THE RESOURCES OF
IRAQ IS THE MAIN GOAL, WHICH IS THE FIRST OF THE PLANNED
OBJECTIVES FOR OCCUPYING IRAQ. AT THE SAME TIME, THE REGION IS
FACING THE CONTINUED OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE SINCE 1948 ..."


6. IN AN "AL-KHALEEJ" OP-ED ON IRAQ, UAE COLUMNIST DR.
ABDULKHALEQ ABDULA WROTE 3/25:

"... IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE LARGE MAJORITY OF IRAQIS WANT SADDAM
TOPPLED BUT NOT BY GEORGE BUSH AND HIS SOLDIERS AND SURELY NOT
WITH WAR, DESTRUCTION, AND KILLING. MOREOVER, THEY DO NOT WANT
THIS THROUGH THE APPOINTMENT OF A MILITARY OR CIVIL GOVERNOR OF
BAGHDAD ... IF THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ DECIDE THAT THEY ARE DEFENDING
IRAQ AND ITS INDEPENDENCE AND CONSIDER THE U.S. TROOPS AS
OCCUPIERS, THEN THE BATTLE WILL BE VERY LONG, AND THE U.S. TROOPS
WILL BE DEFEATED AND FACE LOSSES EXCEEDING ALL EXPECTATIONS. BUT
IF THE IRAQI PEOPLE DECIDE THAT THIS IS A BATTLE FOR THE IRAQI
REGIME AND NOT FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY, THEN THE WAR WILL NOT
GO ON FOR LONG AND WILL LEAD TO THE FALL OF BAGHDAD IN LESS THAN
A MONTH."


7. CRITICIZING U.S. POLICY FOR THE WAR ON IRAQ AND THE REGION,
UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN "AL BAYAN" 3/25:

"... THEY (AMERICANS) WANTED IT TO BE A FAST WAR, WHERE THEY
COULD TRY THEIR NEW WEAPONS OF DESTRUCTION AGAINST THE IRAQI
PEOPLE AND THE REGION. WHAT IS IMPORTANT (FOR THE U.S.) IS TO
TEST THEIR WEAPONS AND OCCUPY IRAQ AS A STARTING POINT FOR THE
REST OF THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO FULFILL THE
DREAM OF PRODUCING COUNTRIES AND ADMINISTRATIONS SUITING AMERICAN
TASTES, SINCE THE ARAB-MUSLIM INCLINATION IS CONSIDERED RETARDED
AND NOT QUALIFIED TO DEAL WITH THE ZIONISTS AND AMERICANS IN A
CIVILIZED MANNER ..."

WAHBA