MEDIA REACTION: A YEAR'S REFLECTIONS ON MEPI, IRAQ,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000016 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP (LMALENAS),NEA/P (ACASPER),NEA/PPD (JDAVIES, WMOONEY, CBOURGEOIS),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: A YEAR'S REFLECTIONS ON MEPI, IRAQ, AND DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ¶1. SUMMARY: UAE MEDIA COMMENTED ON WHAT IT CALLED PRESIDENT BUSH'S POSITIVE STATEMENT ON IRAQ. HOWEVER, LOCAL MEDIA ALSO LABELED PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENTS ON IRAQ AND NORTH KOREA AS CONTRADICTORY. AN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIAL HOPED PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENTS REPRESENT A NEW AMERICAN START TO REMOVE THE SPECTER OF WAR HOVERING IN THE REGION. MEANWHILE, "AL KHALEEJ" ARGUED CONTRADICTORY POSITIONS AND VAGUE QUESTIONS REFLECT A U.S. POLICY LACKING BALANCE AND REASON. RESPONDING TO THE THREAT OF WAR, "AL BAYAN" CALLED ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO CONFRONT PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEW POLICY OF DOMINATION. CONSIDERING SUCH A SCENARIO UNLIKELY, CHIEF EDITOR OF "AL BAYAN" DELIBERATED ON WHETHER OR NOT SADDAM WOULD SURPRISE EVERYONE BY CHOOSING SELF- EXILE. DEMOCRACY WAS ALSO A FOCUS OF SOME DAILIES, WHO REPORTED NO ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARDS DEMOCRACY IN THE ARAB WORLD DURING 2002. REFLECTING ON 2002, AN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIAL NOTED THERE WERE NO SERIOUS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY OR DEVELOP CIVIC INSTITUTIONS IN THE ARAB WORLD. END SUMMARY. ¶2. REVIEWING THE EVENTS OF 2002, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/1: "...DURING 2002, WE DID NOT SEE SERIOUS ARAB EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY AND BUILD INSTITUTIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETY, EXCEPT IN ONE OR TWO PLACES IN THE ENTIRE ARAB WORLD. POLITICAL TRANQUILITY IS DOMINANT, THUS, OPENING THE DOOR FOR EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF WHICH IS SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL'S INITIATIVE FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE ARAB WORLD..." ¶3. COMMENTING ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S POSITIVE STATEMENTS ON IRAQ, "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/4: "... WE HOPE PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENTS ARE A START OF AMERICAN STEPS TO REMOVE THE SPECTER OF WAR FROM THE REGION. THE STATEMENTS MUST BE COMBINED WITH PRACTICAL STEPS ON THE GROUND BY DISCONTINUING THE FEVER OF THE CONTINUOUS MILITARY BUILD-UP (IN THE GULF) THAT TAKES PLACE DAY AND NIGHT..." ¶4. COMPARING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DON RUMSFELD'S TONE TOWARDS IRAQ IN 1983 AND AT PRESENT, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/1: "... RUMSFELD IS PUSHING FOR A DESTRUCTIVE WAR AGAINST THE IRAQI PEOPLE, PRETENDING TO REMOVE WMD, (WHILE AT THE SAME TIME) THE SAME PERSON WHO FACILITATED PROVIDING BAGHDAD WITH DOUBLE-USE WEAPONS WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ... THE QUESTION TO BE ASKED IS WHAT KIND OF DOUBLE STANDARD IS CONTROLLING THE POLICY OF SUCH A LARGE COUNTRY CLAIMING - IN A FAKE MANNER - TO BE COMMITTED TO SECURITY, STABILITY, LEGITIMACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS? ... RUMSFELD'S SCANDAL UNCOVERED (IN A RECENT ARTICLE) BY THE 'WASHINGTON POST' ON HELPING BAGHDAD ACQUIRE WEAPONS DURING THE 1980'S IS NEITHER THE FIRST NOR THE LAST ONE. HOWEVER, THIS SHOULD BE A NEW LESSON FOR ARAB COUNTRIES NOT TO TRUST THE U.S. OR ITS PROMISES, FRIENDSHIP, OR ALLIANCE, ESPECIALLY IF THIS ALLIANCE IS AGAINST AN ARAB COUNTRY." ¶5. COMMENTING ON WHAT IT CALLED CONTRADICTIONS IN PRESIDENT BUSH'S POSITION TOWARDS IRAQ AND NORTH KOREA, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/2: "... AFTER PRESIDENT BUSH ADMITS SADDAM HUSSEIN DOES NOT POSSESS WMD, HE MENTIONS THE POSSIBILITY OF SADDAM ATTACKING THE U.S. AND DAMAGING ITS ECONOMY PERSONALLY OR THROUGH AN AGENT. HOW CAN THE IRAQI PRESIDENT ATTACK THE U.S., WITH WHAT KIND OF WEAPON, AND WHO IS THIS AGENT? NEVERTHELESS, AS FAR AS NORTH KOREA IS CONCERNED, BUSH EMPHASIZES IT POSSESSES TWO NUCLEAR WEAPONS AT LEAST BUT STILL BELIEVES THE SITUATION CAN BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY THROUGH DIPLOMATIC MEANS. THE QUESTION IS WHY CAN THE NORTH KOREAN CASE BE SOLVED PEACEFULLY BUT NOT THE IRAQI? ... CONTRADICTING STANCES AND VAGUE QUESTIONS REFLECT A U.S. POLICY LACKING BALANCE AND REASON." ¶6. UNDER THE HEADLINE "DOMINATION IS REJECTED", DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 1/4: "... THE U.S. PRESIDENT TRIES TO APPLY NEW RULES IN AN INTERNATIONAL POLICY GIVING WASHINGTON THE RIGHT TO CHANGE REGIMES THAT DO NOT MOVE IN ITS ORBIT, AND REPLACE THEM WITH MORE COOPERATIVE ONES. THE TERM OF COOPERATION IN THE AMERICAN CONCEPT IS TO BE ON THE LIST OF THOSE WHO RECEIVE ORDERS AND EXECUTE THEM WITHOUT HESITATION. THUS, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST CONFRONT THIS NEW POLICY..." ¶7. COMMENTING ON TERRORISM BETWEEN 2002 AND 2003, COLUMNIST AHMED AL KANANI ARGUED IN "AL BAYAN" ON 1/3 THAT ARABS AND AMERICAN HAVE EACH ACCUSED THE OTHER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR 9/11: "... IF ARABS AND AMERICANS CHANGE THEIR ROLES, EACH SIDE WILL SEE THE REALITY OF THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVER THE REASONS BEHIND IT. THE TWO SIDES ARE BOTH RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED. THE U.S. DISREGARD FOR ARAB RIGHTS AND BIAS TO ISRAEL GENERATE ANGER AND HATRED AMONG ARABS. ON THE OTHER HAND, ARABS, ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENTS, FAIL TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE BASED ON FREEDOM, DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE, AND PROTECTION FROM - GOVERNMENT-DESIRED - SUBJUGATION TO WASHINGTON ... ARAB OFFICIALS' ADAPTATION TO THE AMERICAN RULES OF THE WAR ON SO- CALLED TERRORISM CONTROL OF THE FUTURE OF THE ARAB WORLD ... THIS WAR CARRIES AN ABSENCE OF SOVEREIGNTY, EXECUTION WITHOUT TRIAL, AND WILL MAKE ARAB BLOOD PUBLIC. WHAT HAPPENED IN YEMEN IS THE BEST EVIDENCE OF THIS. IT MEANS THE INCREASE OF (U.S.) STATE TERRORISM CONFRONTING INDIVIDUAL TERRORISM I.E. TERRORISM AND COUNTER TERRORISM..." ¶8. REVIEWING 2002 AND COMMENTING ON THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE SPOKESMAN'S SUPPORT FOR SADDAM'S SELF-EXILE, "AL BAYAN" EDITOR-IN- CHIEF KHALED MOHAMMED AHMED WROTE IN 1/4: "... THE NEW YEAR UNDOUBTEDLY CARRIES SURPRISES. NEWS ON SADDAM LEAVING IRAQ FOR ANOTHER COUNTRY HAS INCREASED RECENTLY. DESPITE NEWS ON THE 'EXILE,' IS THERE GOING TO BE A 'SURPRISE?' LET'S WAIT AND SEE." WAHBA