UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001783

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: FALL OF TIKRIT SYRIA IS NEXT U.S.
MOTIVES FOR WAR


1. SUMMARY: THE FALL OF TIKRIT TO COALITION FORCES, THE IN
IRAQI CITIES, AND USG WARNINGS TO SYRIA DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE
MEDIA. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ALLEGED THAT IRAQ WAS FIRST BUT
SYRIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES ARE NEXT. AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL
COMMENTED ON SADDAM'S TORTURE CHAMBERS BUT NOTED THAT THEY ARE
ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. DR. ANWAR GHARGHASH IN "AL ITTIHAD"
DECLARED THAT THE WAR IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR ARABS TO
CHANGE THEIR RECENT HISTORY OF HYPOCRISY, CORRUPTION, OPPRESSION,
AND SETBACKS. IN A RARE OP-ED, UAE NATIONAL GULF NEWS EDITOR-IN-
CHIEF ABDUL HAMID AHMAD PROCLAIMED THAT AUTHORITARIAN ARAB
REGIMES MUST PURSUE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS AND STOP USING THE
PALESTINIANS AS AN EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY THE REPRESSION OF THEIR
PEOPLES. END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON THE ARAB CHANCE TO ELIMINATE THE BLACK STAINS
IN ITS HISTORY, UAE NATIONAL DR. ANWAR GARGASH WROTE IN SEMI-
OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" ON 4/14:

"... OUR ARAB WORLD IS FACED WITH A HISTORICAL CHANCE THAT
SYMBOLIZES THE END OF THE ARAB HISTORY AS WE KNOW IT - A HISTORY
OF HYPOCRISY, CORRUPTION, OPPRESSION, AND SETBACKS DURING RECENT
DECADES. IT IS TIME TO REPLACE THE VOID SLOGANS AND ILLUSIONS
THAT OCCURRED IN LOSING THE ARAB COMPASS, WITH A WORKING METHOD
TO SANCTIFY HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO GUARANTEE POLITICAL RIGHTS AND A
DECENT LIFE FOR EVERY ARAB."


3. DESCRIBING THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AS A "FIRE" THAT WILL SPREAD
TO OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY SYRIA, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/14:

"... EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK'S WARNING OF A CIVIL WAR IN
IRAQ SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND DEALT WITH ... THE FIRE
THREATENING THE REGION, STARTING WITH THE ONE IN IRAQ, OPENS THE
DOOR TO FEARS THAT ARE NOT ELIMINATED WITH AMERICAN PROMISES AND
REASSURANCES THAT WASHINGTON SHOWERS (US) WITH DEMOCRACY,
DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE. THE EVIL COMPANIES AND ISRAELI INTERESTS
THAT CONTROL AMERICAN DECISIONS THAT REFUTE ALL RUMORS REGARDING
THIS SITUATION ..."


4. COMMENTING ON SADDAM'S TREATMENT OF HIS PEOPLE, "AL ITTIHAD"

EDITORIALIZED 4/14:

"... WHAT THE WORLD SAW IN THE VAULTS, SECRET TUNNELS, AND
TORTURE EQUIPMENT IN THE HOUSES OF EVIL, IN ADDITION TO THE
GRAVES, GROUP GRAVES, AND THE REMAINS OF UNKNOWN PEOPLE, IS ONLY
THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG FLOATING ON THE SURFACE, MADE OF BODIES
AND THE SUFFERING OF MILLIONS OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS. THE SOULS
OF THE VICTIMS ARE STILL FLYING OVER WHERE THEY WERE KILLED, AND
THE ECHOES OF THE MOANS OF THE TORTURED STILL LOOM IN MANY
HOUSES."


5. NOTING THAT THE WORLD IS ASKING THE COALITION FORCES TO END
THE CHAOS IN IRAQ INSTEAD OF ENDING THEIR OCCUPATION, "AL-
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/13:

"... THE ORGANIZED CHAOS IN IRAQI CITIES DURING THE LAST COUPLE
OF DAYS IS ONLY BUT A DROP IN THE SEA OF THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE,
IN WHICH THE U.S. AND UK WANT IRAQ TO DROWN IN ORDER TO
STRENGTHEN THEIR OCCUPATION ..."


6. CRITICIZING THE ARAB POLICY TOWARDS IRAQ AND COMPARING IT TO
THE FRENCH POLICY, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/13:

"... THE ARAB LEAGUE AND ARAB COUNTRIES ARE REQUESTED TO MOVE
TOWARDS PROTECTING NOT ONLY IRAQ AND SYRIA, BUT ALSO ALL ARAB
COUNTRIES THAT MIGHT SOONER OR LATER FIND THEMSELVES AN AMERICAN
TARGET ..."


7. COMMENTING ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, "AL-ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED 4/13:

"... REBUILDING A NEW IRAQ AFTER ALL THIS DESTRUCTION WILL NOT
HAPPEN EXCEPT WITH THE HANDS OF ITS PEOPLE AND ON THE BASIS OF
COOPERATION BETWEEN ALL POWERS AND POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND
CULTURAL GROUPS IN THE IRAQI COMMUNITY. THIS IS THE BATTLE FOR
IRAQIS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE IRAQ."


8. IN A CLOSING STATEMENT IN "AL BAYAN," SALIM WROTE:

"THE LOOTING THAT THE IRAQI CITIES ARE WITNESSING UNDER THE EYES
AND EARS OF THE AMERICAN OCCUPYING FORCES IS DONE BY ROBBERS AND
GANGS ... THIS REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOTTO OF LIBERATION
ESPOUSED BY WASHINGTON TO JUSTIFY ITS ATTACKS AGAINST IRAQ. THIS
IS A LIBERATION OF IRAQI CITIES FROM SECURITY AND LEAVES THE
THESE CITIES FOR ROBBERS TO LOOT, EXCEPT FOR THE MINISTRY OF
PETROLEUM AND OIL REFINERIES AND WELLS, WHICH HAVE THEIR OWN
LOOTERS WHO COME FROM OVERSEAS."


9. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "THE IRAQI TREMOR AND ITS KEY LESSON FOR
ALL," UAE NATIONAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABDUL HAMID AHMAD WROTE IN AN
OP-ED IN EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" ON 4/14:
"THE COLLAPSE OF THE IRAQI BA'ATH PARTY HAS LONG BEEN ANTICIPATED
... THE REGIME SUPPRESSED FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN ECONOMIC,
POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL FIELDS - IN FACT, ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE ...
THE IRAQI EXPERIENCE IS SIMILAR TO THE EXPERIENCE OF ALGERIA,
SYRIA, YEMEN, AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES RULED BY SUCH FORCES AND
NATIONAL PARTIES THAT ARE CHARACTERIZED BY TOTALITARIANISM AND
RULE BY ONE ... SINGLE PARTY MONOPOLY SUPPRESSES ALL TYPES OF
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND ONLY LEADS TO THE SUFFOCATION OF
PEOPLE, POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY. THE (BA'ATH) PARTY'S ACTIONS
AND THE MONOPOLY OF POWER BY AN UNQUALIFIED CLIQUE - EXCEPT FOR
ITS INSATIABLE DESIRE TO TERRORISE IT OWN PEOPLE AND NEIGHBORS -
IS A STRONG LESSON THAT ARABS SHOULD LEARN FROM."

"... IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IS JUST AN EXCUSE
FOR THESE REGIMES TO JUSTIFY THE REPRESSION OF THEIR PEOPLE AND
THEIR MONOPOLY OF POWER. IT IS AS IF PALESTINE CAN ONLY BE
LIBERATED THROUGH REPRESSION SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE REGIMES HAVE
CLAIMED DEMOCRACY WILL NOT ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, THIS DREAM."

"WE SHOULD NOT START LOOKING FOR EXPLANATIONS AS TO WHY IT
HAPPENED, BECAUSE DICTATORSHIPS CAN ONLY LEAD TO DESTRUCTION AS
WAS THE CASE IN IRAQ ... THE TIME HAS COME FOR US ARABS TO
REALIZE AND LEARN FROM WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN IRAQ."

WAHBA