MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

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