UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001503

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
RUMSFELD'S WARNINGS



1. SUMMARY: THE WAR IN IRAQ, IRAQI CIVILIAN CAUSALITIES,
HUMANITARIAN AID, AND RUMSFELD'S WARNINGS TO SYRIA AND IRAN
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL
DESCRIBED RUMSFELD'S WARNINGS AS "ISRAELI DICTATIONS." ANOTHER
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" NOTED THAT THESE WARNINGS ARE A NEW
THREAT AGAINST ANOTHER ARAB COUNTRY. END SUMMARY.


2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "RUMSFELD AND THE ISRAELI DICTATIONS,"
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 3/30:

"... THE U.S. IS IMPLEMENTING AN 'ISRAELI AGENDA' IN ITS ATTACKS
AGAINST IRAQ, AND WHAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT IRAQ AS THE FIRST STEP
IN CARRYING OUT AN ISRAELI-AMERICAN STRATEGY IN THE REGION IS NOT
ONLY AN ANALYSIS ANYMORE, THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY RUMSFELD'S
STATEMENTS ... ARE THESE HUGE U.S. FORCES THAT HAVE ARRIVED IN
THE REGION, WHOSE NUMBERS MIGHT REACH HALF A MILLION SOLDIERS,
TARGETING IRAQ ONLY, OR IS THERE SOMETHING MORE?"


3. COMMENTING ON RUMSFELD'S STATEMENT AND HIS WARNINGS TO SYRIA
AND IRAN, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED
3/30:

"... THESE WARNINGS AND ACCUSATIONS REPRESENT A NEW AMERICAN
THREAT AGAINST A BROTHERLY ARAB COUNTRY, WHO AGREES WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS AND COOPERATED WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL
IN VOTING FOR UNSCR 1441. THAT (UNSCR 1441) WAS MEANT TO PROTECT
IRAQ'S SECURITY AND TO CONFIRM THAT DAMASCUS IS WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. WE DO NOT KNOW THE U.S. INTENTIONS
BEHIND THESE WARNINGS TO SYRIA."


4. CRITICIZING THE US AND UK FOR DOUBLE STANDARD VIS--VIS IRAQ
AND ISRAEL, UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN "AL BAYAN" ON
3/30:

"... BUSH AND BLAIR ARE CONVINCED THAT SADDAM'S REGIME DESERVES
TO BE PUNISHED SINCE IT IGNORED 17 UN RESOLUTIONS. THE MORAL
QUESTION THAT SHOULD BE ASKED HERE IS THE SAME THAT WAS ASKED BY
THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JACK STRAW AND WHICH DISGUSTED
ISRAEL: WHY IS ISRAEL NOT PUNISHED FOR THE SAME REASON, THE
VIOLATION OF 64 UN RESOLUTIONS?"


5. CRITICIZING THE MANAGEMENT OF GULF SATELLITE CHANNELS, UAE
COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN YOUSEF AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON 3/30:

"... THE REALLY SAD ISSUE IS THAT OUR GULF SATELLITE CHANNELS
HAVE GIVEN OVER THEIR MANAGEMENT TO ARAB EXPATRIATES, WHO PLACED
THEIR BENEFITS AND THE BENEFIT OF THEIR COUNTRIES ABOVE THE
BENEFITS OF PEOPLE OF THE GULF AND THE WESTERN COALITION
COUNTRIES THAT SHARE IMPORTANT AND COMPLICATED ECONOMICAL,
COMMERCIAL, AND SECURITY RELATIONS WITH GULF COUNTRIES. PEOPLE
OF THE GULF TODAY ARE COMMITTING THE SAME MISTAKE THE KUWAITIS
DID RIGHT BEFORE THE SECOND GULF WAR, WHEN THE KUWAITI PRESS WAS
MANNED BY OUR ARAB BROTHERS WHO MADE OUR PRESS A FORUM FOR INTER-
ARAB CONFLICTS AT THE TIME, WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION
KUWAIT'S ULTIMATE INTERESTS AND FOR WHICH KUWAIT PAID DEARLY ..."


6. PRAISING "THE BLESSED ARAB SATELLITE CHANNEL CAVALRIES," IBN
AL DEERA WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 3/30:

"PROFESSIONALISM AND OBJECTIVITY IS BADLY REQUIRED IN THE
COVERAGE OF ARAB SATELLITE CHANNELS. IT IS ALSO NECESSARY THAT
THEY NOT SUCCUMB TO THE TRAPS LAID BY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDIA WAR
FABRICATED BY THE UNITED STATES. VICTORIES ACHIEVED BY LOCAL AND
ARAB SATELLITE CHANNELS SHOULD NOT BE OBSTRUCTED OR DISTORTED BY
AMERICA. THE AIM OF THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN AGAINST OUR ARAB
SATELLITE CHANNELS IS TO BLACKOUT SCENES OF THEIR MISERIES ...
BLESSINGS ON THE COURAGEOUS REPORTERS OF THE ARAB SATELLITE
CHANNELS: 'ABU DHABI,' 'SHARJAH,' 'DUBAI,' 'AL JAZEERA,' AND 'AL
ARABIYYA' AND MOST OF THE ARAB SATELLITE CHANNELS!"


7. UNDER THE HEADLINE "UN MUST ACT ON AID," EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED
ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS EDITORIALIZED 3/30:

"THE POLITICAL FUTURE OF IRAQ HAS TO LIE WITH THE IRAQI PEOPLE
AND THAT FUTURE STARTS WITH THE CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION OF THOSE
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, WHICH THE COALITION HAS TAKEN AND ARE NOT
AFFECTED BY THE FIGHTING. EVEN IF THAT IS NOT UNDER IRAQI
CONTROL AS YET, THE UNITED NATIONS IS MUCH BETTER ABLE TO DELIVER
THE REQUIRED SUPPORT WHERE NEEDED, AND TO HAND OVER ANY ASSETS OR
INFRASTRUCTURE IT HAS SET UP TO ANY FUTURE IRAQI ADMINISTRATION.
THE COALITION FORCES SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROCESS."

WAHBA