MEDIA REACTION: MEPI, IRAQ, AND NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000159

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, INR
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: MEPI, IRAQ, AND NORTH KOREA


1. SUMMARY: REGIONAL AND UAE MEDIA FOCUSED LARGELY ON A
PERCEIVED DOUBLE STANDARD IN U.S. POLICIES TOWARDS NORTH KOREA
AND IRAQ AS WELL AS THE MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE
(MEPI). AN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIAL QUESTIONED WHY WASHINGTON
DOES NOT APPLY A STRONG STANCE TO NORTH KOREA SIMILAR TO WHAT IT
DOES ON IRAQ. CONVERSELY, AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ARGUED THAT
THE U.S. IS NOT REQUIRED TO START A WAR WITH NORTH KOREA, BUT IT
SHOULD HALT ITS MOVEMENT TO WAR WITH IRAQ. IN ANOTHER EDITORIAL,
"AL KHALEEJ" URGED IRAQ TO PRACTICE SELF-RESTRAINT. "AL BAYAN"
COMMENTED THAT THE U.S. DOES NOT REALIZE ITS POLICIES GENERATE
HOSTILITY WITH MOST PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE. COMMENTING ON U.S.
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE MEPI, QATARI WRITER DR. AHMED ABDUL MALAK
CONCLUDES THAT THE RELIGIOUS MAINSTREAM IN THE GULF WILL NOT
ALLOW THE SPREAD OF THESE VALUES. END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON A PERCEIVED DOUBLE STANDARD IN U.S. POLICIES
TOWARDS NORTH KOREA AND IRAQ, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB "AKHBAR AL
ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/9:

"THE SUPPORTERS FOR WAR STILL PREFER A BUSH-SHARON BRINKMANSHIP
TYPE POLICY WITH IRAQ ... THE QUESTION IS WHY DOESN'T THE BUSH-
SHARON ADMINISTRATION APPLY THE SAME SORT OF HOSTILE METHODS TO
NORTH KOREA, ESPECIALLY AFTER IT EXPELLED THE NUCLEAR INSPECTORS?
THE REASON IS CLEAR; NORTH KOREA IS STRONG AND UNITED, WHERE AS
IRAQ IS MILITARILY WEAK AND DESTROYED SOCIALLY DUE TO THE
SANCTIONS. IRAQ ALSO SUFFERS FROM THE GROWING MISTAKES OF THE
IRAQI LEADERSHIP. THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS WHAT WILL
HAPPEN IF THE RESULTS OF THE AMERICAN WAR ON IRAQ ARE NOT WHAT
BUSH-SHARON DESIRE?"


3. COMMENTING ON THE SAME SUBJECT, "AKHBAR AL ARAB"
EDITORIALIZED ON 1/11:

"... THE WAR ON IRAQ IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME FOR WASHINGTON. IT
IS WAITING TO COMPLETE ITS MILITARY BUILD-UP AND END NEGOTIATIONS
WITH THE BIG POWERS ON EACH SHARE OF THE IRAQI PIE OR, SAY, THE
MORE DELICIOUS ARAB PIE. THE REAL INTENTIONS BEHIND THE WAR ARE
CLEAR NOW."


4. DISCUSSING AN AMERICAN-LED WAR ON IRAQ AND THE NEGOTIATIONS
WITH NORTH KOREA, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED ON 1/11:

"... WHAT IS REQUIRED NOW IS NOT TO DECLARE WAR AGAINST THE U.S.
AS PYONG YANG HAS DONE. WHAT IS REQUIRED NOW IS TO STAND UP
HONESTLY AND SINCERELY TO STOP THE AMERICAN WAR ON ARABS WHICH IS
SEEN THROUGH ITS AGGRESSION AGAINST IRAQ AND THE INCREASING
ZIONIST AGGRESSION IN PALESTINE."


5. COMMENTING ON WHAT IT CALLED THE 'TRICKY' STATEMENT OF HANS
BLIX ON THE RESULTS OF WMD INSPECTIONS, "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED ON 1/10:

"... IT (IRAQ) MUST ADOPT A POLICY OF SELF-RESTRAINT IN ORDER TO
PREVENT ANY RESPONCE TO THE PROVOCATIONS OF BUSH, BLAIR, BLIX, OR
THE WMD INSPECTORS. THE INCREASING MILITARY BUILD-UP (IN THE
GULF) BY WASHINGTON AND LONDON IS NOT TOURISM. IT IS FOR A VERY
CLEAR MISSION."


6. ARGUING THAT THE CONFLICT WITH IRAQ CLEARLY PROVIDES THE U.S.
IS AN INSANE, IMPERIAL POWER ABIDING ONLY BY THE LAW OF THE
JUNGLE, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON
1/11:

"... THROUGH THIS WAR, THE U.S. CONVEYS A MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO
DARE TO THINK OF COMPETING AGAINST IT. THE U.S. IS SAYING THAT
IT IS THE ONLY EMPIRE IN THE WORLD. ITS PLAN OF WORLD DOMINATION
HAS NO ROOM FOR PARTNERS. MOREOVER, EVERYBODY MUST CARRY OUT ITS
ORDERS OR BE PUNISHED THE SAME WAY AS IRAQ ... THE U.S. DOES NOT
REALIZE THAT THIS SITUATION WILL GENERATE MORE HOSTILITY WITH
PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE AND ONLY RESULT IN FURTHER ISOLATION."


7. NOTING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PROTESTING A WAR ON IRAQ IS
INCREASING, "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/10:

"... THE CIRCLE OF PEOPLE REFUSING A WAR IN IRAQ IS WIDENING IN
THE WEST. WILL WASHINGTON LISTEN AND RESPOND?"


8. COMMENTING ON MEPI, EGYPTIAN INTELLECTUAL SYED YASSIN ABU
EDITORIALIZED IN DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL "AL ITTIHAD" ON 1/9:

"... IF THE U.S. TRIES TO PRACTICE SELF-CRITICISM - AS PER
RICHARD HASS' CONFESSION OF THE U.S. BEING POLITICALLY
OPPORTUNIST - WILL IT BE ABLE TO WIDEN THE CIRCLE OF CRITICISM
AND CONFESS ITS TERRIBLE MISTAKE OF LIMITLESSLY SUPPORTING THE
RACIST ISRAEL. ENJOYING THE U.S. SUPPORT, ISRAEL ADOPTS A CLEAR
POLICY TO TERMINATE THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. IS THE U.S. READY TO
CONFESS ITS MISTAKE WHEN IT SAYS THAT ISRAEL IS THE OASIS OF
DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST."


9. COMMENTING ON THE AMERICAN PRESENCE IN THE GULF SINCE THE
PREVIOUS WAR WITH IRAQ, QATARI WRITER DR. AHMED ABDUL MALAK WROTE
IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 1/9:

"... IF THIS PRESENCE IS JUSTIFIED WITH THE SUPPORT OF MANY
(ARAB) GOVERNMENTS, THERE WILL BE A CONFLICT WHEN THE AMERICAN
ADMINISTRATION STARTS FULFILLING ITS PROMISES IN THE REGION,
I.E., THE LIBERAL VALUES ANNOUNCED BY CONDOLEEZA RICE, AND THE
MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY COLIN POWELL.
THE RELIGIOUS STREAM IN THE REGION WILL NOT ALLOW THE ACCEPTANCE
OF THESE VALUES. IT WILL CONFRONT ANY GOVERNMENT IF IT DECLARES
ITS CLEAR ACCEPTANCE OF THOSE VALUES ... EVEN THE LIBERAL STREAM
WILL NOT AGREE WITH APPLYING THOSE VALUES - THOUGH IT BELIEVES IN
THEM - SIMPLY BECAUSE IT FEELS THAT THEY ARE AN AMERICAN GIFT
APPLIED THROUGH AMERICAN GUNS AND TANKS. THIS STREAM REJECTS THE
AMERICAN PRESENCE IN THE REGION AND MAY SACRIFICE ITS LIBERAL
VALUES IN RETURN FOR THE DEPARTURE OF AMERICAN FORCES ... IF THE
U.S. BETS ON A SUCCESSFUL DEAL BETWEEN ARABS AND ISRAEL VIA MEPI
AND THE VALUES OF DEMOCRACY, WE BELIEVE THAT IT WILL LOSE ITS BET
... THE U.S. WILL BE A VICTIM OF LOCAL CONTRADICTIONS IN THE
REGION, ESPECIALLY AFTER DEMOCRATIC CHANGES CAUSE PRO-U.S.
GOVERNMENTS TO CHANGE THEIR POLICIES AND STRIVE TO GUARANTEE
THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM INTERFERENCE IN THEIR INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
FINALLY, ARAB COUNTRIES WILL REALIZE THE RESULTS OF A CHANGING
SYLLABUS, DEMOCRATIC VALUES, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE ROLE OF WOMAN
IN DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE ALL BURNING ISSUES WHICH THE U.S. MAY
MAKE HOTTER."

WAHBA