Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1479
2003-03-29 10:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
null
Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:42:59 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM March 29, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1479 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ CIVILIAN CASUALTIES 
 HUMANATARIAN AID DEMONSTRATIONS IN DUBAI 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01479

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

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

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

VZCZCADI724
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1479/01 0881009
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291009Z MAR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9113
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0622
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0680
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001479 

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 CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
HUMANATARIAN AID DEMONSTRATIONS IN DUBAI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001479

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 CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
HUMANATARIAN AID DEMONSTRATIONS IN DUBAI


1. SUMMARY: THE WAR IN IRAQ, IRAQI CIVILIAN CAUSALITIES, AND
HUMANITARIAN AID DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA. UAE PRINT
DAILIES ALSO COVERED ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS IN DUBAI, VARIOUS
ARAB CAPITALS, AND AROUND THE WORLD. AN "AL KHALEEJ" ARTICLE
EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR ARABS TO REALIZE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE
WAR IN IRAQ. ANOTHER "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL DESCRIBED THE WAR IN
IRAQ AS THE NEW "MONGOL MASSACRES." END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON THE UN'S ROLE IN MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL
PRESSURE TO STOP THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS CREATED BY THE WAR, ABU
DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 3/29:

"...AT THIS TIME, AN ESSENTIAL QUESTION ARISES: WHY DID ALL
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS AND ATTEMPTS TO STOP THIS WAR CEASE? WHERE
IS THE UN, THE CHARTER OF WHICH CALLS FOR ENSURING WORLD PEACE?
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY STILL HAS A ROLE WHICH SHOULD BE
PERFORMED AND ACTIVATED."


3. ALLEGING THE REAL REASONS BEHIND THE WAR ON IRAQ ARE OIL AND
PROTECTING ISRAEL, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 3/29:

"AMERICAN AND BRITISH OFFICIALS CLAIM TO HAVE ACHIEVED TWO
POSITIVE OUTCOMES: SECURING THE OIL FIELDS IN THE SOUTH AND
SECURING THE WESTERN FRONT TO PREVENT THE TARGETING OF ISRAEL
WITH MISSILES ... THE REAL REASONS BEHIND THIS WAR ARE BOTH THE
PROTECTION OF ISRAEL AND IRAQ'S OIL WEALTH AND NOTHING ELSE."


4. COMMENTING ON THE RESIGNATION OF RICHARD PERLE, UAE COLUMNIST
AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" ON
3/29:

"... CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE ALLIES SEEM TO BE LOOMING. THE FIRST
TO FALL OUT ... WAS THE PRIME MINISTER OF SPAIN, JOSE MARIA
AZNAR, WHO IS WIDELY HATED BY THE SPANISH PEOPLE AND RIDICULED BY
PARLIAMENT. AZNAR AND PERLE ARE NOT THE FIRST VICTIMS AND ARE
NOT THE FIRST NAILS IN THIS EMPIRE'S COFFIN."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE "FACING THE TRUTH," UAE COLUMNIST DR.
MOHAMED IDREES WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 3/29:

"... THEY ARE GOING TO DESTROY IRAQ WHILE HAVING THEIR EYES ON
PALESTINE AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES. COLIN POWELL STATED THIS
WHEN HE SAID THAT THE U.S. IS COMING INTO IRAQ IN ORDER TO FORCE
SOME CHANGES IN THE REGION TO SERVE AMERICAN INTERESTS AND HE DID
NOT FORGET TO MENTION ISRAEL'S 'PEACE' AS A PRIORITY. THE LOSS
OF IRAQ IS JUST THE BEGINNING AND NOT THE END. AND WITHOUT AN
ARAB ROLE THAT COULD SAY 'NO' TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ, THE
ARABS WILL NEVER REALIZE WHERE AND WHEN IS THE END, SINCE THEY
ALREADY LOST THE BEGINNING."


6. COMMENTING ON RECENT STATEMENTS ABOUT ISRAEL AND THE
PALESTINIANS BY UK FOREIGN MINISTER JACK STRAW, ABU DHABI-BASED
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 3/27:

"... THE STATEMENT ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH, IT HAS TO BE ACCOMPANIED
BY ACTIONS IN ORDER TO RESTORE DIGNITY TO THE VICTIM AND TO
PUNISH THE TORMENTOR ... THE WESTERN COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE
REPEATEDLY WISHED TO SOLVE THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT
ACCORDING TO THE ROADMAP PROPOSED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH, OF
TWO STATES LIVING TOGETHER IN PEACE, ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE AHEAD
AND FORCE ISRAEL TO ACCEPT THE FAIT ACCOMPLI WILLINGLY OR
UNWILLINGLY. ONLY THEN WILL A HALF CENTURY OF INJUSTICE IN THE
MIDDLE EAST BE RECOGNIZED."


7. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE NEW MONGOL MASSACRES," "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 3/27:

"... WHOEVER IS ADDICTED TO COVERING UP FOR THE CRIMINALS WHO
COMMIT THE MASSACRES AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS, WILL DEFINITELY
COMMIT THE SAME. WHOEVER WANTS HIS COMPANIES TO BENEFIT WILL
RESORT TO DESTRUCTION IN ORDER TO AN CREATE APPROPRIATE
FOUNDATION FOR RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS ... THE NEW MONGOL
NIGHTMARE HAS SPREAD TO ALL ARAB COUNTRIES AND EVERYONE IS MERELY
AN ONLOOKER. THESE NEW MONGOLS WILL NOT BE SATISFIED WITH IRAQ
ONCE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO SWALLOW IT."


8. UNDER THE OP-ED HEADLINE, "A BARGAIN OVER A NATION,"
INFLUENTIAL UAE BUSINESSMAN KHALAF AL HABTOOR WROTE IN EXPATRIATE-
ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS ON 3/29:

"NOBODY CAN CLAIM THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
THE ARAB WORLD. THIS IS FATE CREEPING AT US VERY QUICKLY AND WE
CAN'T STOP IT. IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO ASK THIS QUESTION ...
ESPECIALLY SINCE SOME GOVERNMENTS ARE REJECTING THE PROBLEMS OF
THEIR PEOPLE. EXCEPT THE EMIRATES EXPERIMENT ... THERE IS NO
EVIDENCE IN OUR ARAB WORLD THAT WE HAVE LEADERS WHO GIVE PRIORITY
TO THEIR NATIONS OVER THEMSELVES ... AND SOME ARAB LEADERS ACT
LIKE THAT BEDOUIN WHO COVERED HIS HEAD AND SAID: NOTHING MATTERS
AS FAR AS I AND MY CAMEL ARE SAFE!"
WAHBA