Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1580
2003-04-02 09:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:38:56 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM April 02, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1580 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ CIVILIAN CASUALTIES 
 CONTRACTS FOR POST-WAR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01580

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

VZCZCADI926
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1580 0920930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020930Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9213
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0628
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0686
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001580 

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; NSC
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
CONTRACTS FOR POST-WAR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION


UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001580

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; NSC
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
CONTRACTS FOR POST-WAR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION



1. SUMMARY: THE WAR IN IRAQ, IRAQI CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, AND
U.S. PLANS FOR POST-WAR IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA.
"AL KHALEEJ" AND "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALS CRITICIZED AMERICAN AND
BRITISH TROOPS TREATMENT OF CIVILIANS IN IRAQ. IN AN "AL
ITTIHAD" OP-ED, ABDULLAH RASHEED LAMBASTED ARAB SATELLITE TV
CHANNELS FOR THEIR "STUPID" COVERAGE AND MANIPULATION AT THE
HANDS OF THE IRAQI REGIME. UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN BLASTED
U.S. ACTIONS AND POST-WAR PLANS FOR IRAQ IN "AL BAYAN." END
SUMMARY.


2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "INNOCENT BLOOD," DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-
ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/02:

"THE CURRENT WAR AGAINST IRAQ HAS ENTERED A GRAVE STAGE ... WE
ARE CONTENT WITH THE REMARKS MADE BY TWO BRITISH SOLDIERS WHO RAN
AWAY FROM THE BATTLES IN IRAQ. THEY ASSERTED THEIR DISAPPROVAL
IN TAKING PART IN THIS 'DIRTY' WAR AIMED AT KILLING INNOCENT
CIVILIANS."


3. COMMENTING ON THE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN IRAQ, SHARJAH-BASED
PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/02:

"... THE APOLOGIES ANNOUNCED BY BRITISH AND AMERICAN OFFICIALS
ARE SIMILAR TO KILLING SOMEONE AND LATER TAKING PART IN HIS
FUNERAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE IS WRONG,
AND WHAT IRAQ HAS BEEN FACING SINCE MARCH 20TH IS A SCANDAL AND A
CRIME AT THE SAME TIME ... EVERY DAY THAT PASSES CARRIES WITH IT
MORE SCANDALS AND CRIMES."


4. CRITICIZING ARAB SATELLITE TV CHANNELS, UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLA
RASHEED WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON
4/02:

"... SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF THE WAR, SADDAM AND HIS REGIME, WHO
HAVE BEEN SHOWING THEIR MUSCLE ON THESE STUPID (ARAB) SATELLITE
CHANNELS, ARE LIVING UNDERGROUND IN BUNKERS THAT CAN RESIST AND
SURVIVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS ... THE BEST THING THESE STUPID SATELLITE
STATIONS CAN DO FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE IS TO SHUT DOWN. OUR
DISGUST FOR YOU HAS BECOME UNSPEAKABLE."


5. DISPARAGING THE IRAQI OPPOSITION, UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN
WROTE IN "AL BAYAN" ON 4/02:

"... SO THE IRAQI PEOPLE, NOT THE IRAQI OPPOSITION, WILL RESIST
THE INVADERS IF THEY THINK OF OCCUPYING IRAQ! SO WHAT ARE THE
AMERICANS DOING IN IRAQ NOW? AREN'T THEY OCCUPYING IT RIGHT IN
FRONT OF THE EYES OF THE WHOLE WORLD, AREN'T THEY DESTROYING IT
IN ORDER TO REBUILD IT, AND THEREFORE DOUBLE THEIR PROFIT? THE
ESTIMATED COST OF THE WAR AS GRANTED BY CONGRESS IS 75 BILLION
DOLLARS, MONEY LATER TO BE TAKEN FROM IRAQI OIL REVENUES. IRAQ
IS BEING DESTROYED BY THE AMERICANS, AND LATER ON, ALL THE
REBUILDING CONTRACTS FOR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WILL BE GIVEN TO
TEXAS COMPANIES ... BRITISH AND AMERICANS ARE DIVIDING IRAQ: ITS
LAND, OIL, AND MONEY. THEY ARE ALSO DIVIDING THE KILLING OF
IRAQIS. ISRAEL ALSO HAS A SHARE AND IS THINKING OF REOPENING THE
HAIFA-MOSUL PIPELINE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THEIR DESIRE FOR THE
LAND 'FROM THE NILE TO THE EUPHRATES.' ALL THIS IS HAPPENING
WHILE THE OPPOSITION REMAINS HOPEFUL TO RULE IRAQ!"

WAHBA