Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1564
2003-04-01 12:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ WARNINGS TO SYRIA CIVILIAN

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:39:38 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM April 01, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1564 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ WARNINGS TO SYRIA CIVILIAN
 CASUALTIES SUICIDE BOMBERS 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01564

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

VZCZCADI892
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1564/01 0911206
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011206Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9198
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0626
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0684
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001564 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR TFIZ01; 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 WARNINGS TO SYRIA CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES SUICIDE BOMBERS


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001564

SIPDIS

STATE FOR TFIZ01; 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 WARNINGS TO SYRIA CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES SUICIDE BOMBERS



1. SUMMARY: THE WAR IN IRAQ, CASUALTIES AMONG IRAQI CIVILIANS,
SUICIDE BOMBERS HEADED TO BAGHDAD, AND SECRETARY POWELL'S
WARNINGS TO SYRIA DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA. EDITORIALS IN
"AL KHALEEJ" AND "AL BAYAN" CLAIM THAT POWELL'S THREAT TO SYRIA
SERVES ISRAEL'S INTERESTS AND WHAT WAS SAID IN WHISPERS IS NOW
CLEARLY ANNOUNCED. IN AN "AL KHALEEJ" OP-ED, DR. ABDULKHALEQ
ABDULLA CRITICIZED WHAT HE CALLED "A CONFUSED GCC POSITION"
TOWARDS THE WAR. IN "AL ITTIHAD" ARTICLE, ABDULLA RASHEED
CRITICIZED THE SHALLOW REPORTING ON NUMEROUS ARAB SATELLITE
CHANNELS. END SUMMARY.


2. ALLEGING SECRETARY POWELL'S WARNING TO SYRIA IS FOR ISRAEL'S
BENEFIT, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED
4/01:

"... ALONG WITH THE UK, WASHINGTON IS WAGING AN INVASION AGAINST
IRAQ, WARMING UP WITH ISRAEL AGAINST SYRIA, AND IN THE
BACKGROUND, THERE ARE LOOMING HOSTILE INTENTIONS TO TARGET
LEBANON IN ADDITION TO THE ONGOING WAR OF LIQUIDATION AGAINST THE
PALESTINIANS. THE WHOLE ARAB REGION WILL BE RESHAPED THROUGH
KILLING AND DESTRUCTION."


3. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SYRIA," DUBAI-BASED
BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/01:

"... POWELL MADE HIS RECENT REMARKS BEFORE THE ZIONIST AIPAC...
THIS IS HIS REAL IDENTITY, WHICH REFUTES CLAIMS ABOUT WASHINGTON
HAVING BOTH HAWKS AND DOVES. ALL OF THEM ARE ALIKE: LOYAL TO
ISRAEL AND HOSTILE TO THE ARABS."


4. CLAIMING THE WAR HAS DISPOSED OF ALL PRETENSES, UAE COLUMNIST
AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN "AL BAYAN" ON 4/01:

"... YES, BUSH IRRITATES US WITH HIS STATEMENTS, HE STABS US DEEP
IN OUR HEARTS, OUR DEEPEST WOUNDS, AND OUR SORROW WHEN HE STANDS
AND BOASTS OF VICTORY FOR HIS TROOPS, STATING THAT THEY ARE DOING
THEIR JOBS AND TASKS PROPERLY! CLAPPING AND APPLAUSE OCCUR ALL
AROUND HIM, WHILE BLOOD IS SHED AND MARTYRS FALL. YES, MR.
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT: OUR MURDER IS GOING JUST AS YOU PLANNED!"


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "A CONFUSED GCC POSITION," UAE COLUMNIST
DR. ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLA WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 4/01:

"... THIS WAR HAS PUT THE GCC COUNTRIES IN A VERY AWKWARD
POSITION, WHICH WILL GET WORSE IF THIS WAR GOES ON FOR A LONG

TIME ... WHAT ARE THEIR POST-WAR PLANS? WHAT IS THEIR POSITION
TOWARDS IRAQ: A NEW IRAQ OR THE OLD IRAQ? THE IRAQ OF SADDAM (IF
HE IS STILL THERE) OR IRAQ AFTER SADDAM? HOW ARE THEY GOING TO
REACT TOWARDS THE AMERICAN MILITARY VICTORY OR FAILURE? MORE
IMPORTANTLY, HOW WOULD THEY DEAL WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT IN AN
ARAB WORLD MOBILIZED AGAINST THE WAR AND EACH PARTY PARTICIPATING
IN THE ONGOING MASSACRE? IF THE CURRENT SITUATION IS CONFUSING
FOR THE GCC COUNTRIES, THEN THE POST-WAR ERA WILL BE MORE
CONFUSING, AND IT IS ABOUT TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT THE
FUTURE."


6. CRITICIZING AMERICAN WEAPONS OF DESTRUCTION, "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED ON 3/31:

"... POLITICAL AND MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCING LIES
DAILY REGARDING ATTACKS ON IRAQ ... COULD THE BRITISH-AMERICAN
WEAPONS OF KILLING AND DESTRUCTION BE BOTH INTELLIGENT AND
STUPID? INTELLIGENT, SINCE THEY DO NOT ATTACK IRAQI CIVILIANS,
WHOM THEY CLAIM THEY ARE GOING TO 'LIBERATE.' STUPID, SINCE THEY
ATTACKED THEIR OWN SOLDIERS MORE THAN ONCE, AND THEIR MISSILES
FELL (BY MISTAKE) IN IRAN, TURKEY AND SAUDI ARABIA..."


7. UNDER THE HEADLINE "STOP THE WAR," "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED
3/31:

"... IT IS SAD THAT DESPITE THE TREMOR AGAINST THE WAR ALL OVER
THE WORLD, WEAPONS OF WAR ARE STILL CAUSING DESTRUCTION
EVERYWHERE ... WHAT IS REALLY FRIGHTENING IS THAT AMERICAN
OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE ACTUAL WAR HAS NOT STARTED YET, REFERRING
TO A PLAN FOR ATTACKING BAGHDAD. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE LAND OF
MESOPOTAMIA WHEN THIS 'ACTUAL' WAR STARTS? IT WILL MEAN MORE
DESTRUCTION, KILLING, AND THE FURTHER DISPLACEMENT OF THE IRAQI
PEOPLE."


8. CRITICIZING ARAB SATELLITE TV CHANNELS, UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLA
RASHEED WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON
3/31:

"... WE RECEIVE AROUND 60 ARAB SATELLITE CHANNELS, HALF ARE
REPORTING THE WAR IN IRAQ FOR ALMOST 24 HOURS DAY AND NIGHT, BUT
I AM SURE THAT WE CANNOT FIND TWO CHANNELS THAT AGREE ON ONE
POINT OR ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION."


9. COMMENTING ON DEMOCRACY IN THE ARAB WORLD, CHIEF EDITOR OF
"AL-KHALEEJ" DR. ABDULLA TERYAM WROTE IN AN EDITORIAL 3/25:

"... THE ARAB POPULATION SEEMS TO BE ISOLATED AND STRANGE IN ITS
OWN LAND SINCE IT IS DEPRIVED OF THE SLIGHTEST HUMAN RIGHTS,
INCLUDING PARTICIPATION AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. IT WILL NOT
GET OUT OF THIS ISOLATION EXCEPT THROUGH ONE DOOR: FREEDOM,
WHICH HAS ONLY ONE MEANING, AND THAT IS DEMOCRACY, PARTICIPATION,
FREE ELECTIONS, AND HEALTHY REPRESENTATIVE COUNCILS. ISLAM IS IN
ITS WORST HISTORICAL CRISIS, WHICH MEANS ARABISM IS IN A BIGGER
CRISIS, SINCE AS LONG AS ISLAM IS WELL, ARABISM IS WELL..."


10. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "WHAT ARE THE ARABS WAITING FOR?,"
PROMINENT EMIRATI BUSINESSMAN KHALAF AHMED AL HABTOOR WROTE IN
THE EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" ON 4/1:

"... WHEN PALESTINE AND BAGHDAD ARE ENCIRCLED, IT MEANS THAT THE
WHOLE ARAB HOMELAND IS UNDER SIEGE! WHO OF US CAN CLAIM THAT HE
DOES NOT LIVE IN THE HUGE JAIL MADE FOR US BY THE WEST,
STRANGLING US WITH THEIR BARBED WIRE, LIMITING OUR MOVEMENT,
THINKING, FREEDOM, AND EVEN DREAMING SPACE. WHAT WE NEED TO DO
NOW, TO AVOID BEING STRANGLED, IS TO JOIN OUR RANKS ON THE
OFFICIAL AND POPULAR LEVEL TO FIGHT AND RESIST THE COMING SIEGE."

WAHBA