GETTING THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT: WINNING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001852

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; PA; IIP/G/NESA; NEA/EX; NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO TC
SUBJECT: GETTING THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT: WINNING
MINDS, BUT NOT HEARTS

REF: SECSTATE 96192


1. SUMMARY: TO GET THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT, THE
ABU DHABI PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION ENGAGED KEY UAE MEDIA
ON MULTIPLE LEVELS PRIOR TO AND DURING THE WAR. PD
EFFORTS INCLUDED INTENSIVE TARGETED OUTREACH WITH KEY
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY MATERIALS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS
WITH UAE NATIONALS, ARAB EXPATRIATES, AND LOCAL IRAQIS,
AND AMBASSADORIAL PRESS ROUNDTABLES. DUE TO WIDESPREAD
ARAB OPPOSITION TO THE WAR, SUCCESS IN BUILDING SUPPORT
FOR U.S. POLICY IN THE REGION WILL BE MEASURED BY WHAT
WE DO IN THE FUTURE: HOW WELL WE ARE ABLE TO HELP BUILD
A DEMOCRATIC IRAQ, MOVE THE PEACE PROCESS FORWARD, AND
WITHDRAW OUR TROOPS FROM THE REGION. WHILE GRAPHIC
IMAGES ON TELEVISION AND IN PRINT MEDIA HAVE STOKED ANTI-
AMERICAN FEELINGS, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR COLLECTIVE PD
EFFORTS HAVE NONETHELESS HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON OUR
AUDIENCES. END SUMMARY.


2. FOR THE LAST MONTH AND MORE, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS
SECTION IN ABU DHABI ENGAGED KEY UAE MEDIA, ACADEMIC,
AND GOVERNMENT INTERLOCUTORS IN A VARIETY OF MEANS, AND
CONTINUES TO DO SO. THESE EFFORTS SUPPORTED OBJECTIVE
VOICES IN THE DEBATE AND HELPED PRESENT MORE BALANCED
REPORTING. THEY INCLUDED:

- AMBASSADORIAL PRESS ROUNDTABLES WITH UAE ELECTRONIC
AND PRINT MEDIA IN ABU DHABI AND DUBAI, WITH A
PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE ARAB SATELLITE MEDIA;
--INTENSIVE EFFORTS TO HELP ABU DHABI TV GET IMBEDDED
WITH COALITION TROOPS AND GET ACCESS TO ACCURATE WAR
FOOTAGE TO COUNTER AL-JAZEERA;
- A NEW EMAIL LISTSERV THROUGH WHICH PAS DISSEMINATED
KEY POLICY STATEMENTS, POSITIVE PHOTOGRAPHS, WASHINGTON
FILE ARTICLES, AND OTHER PD ITEMS TO IMPORTANT MEDIA,
GOVERNMENT, AND ACADEMIC CONTACTS DAILY;
- AN SMS TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE THROUGH WHICH PAS
NOTIFIED KEY CONTACTS OF ITEMS MENTIONED ABOVE;
- FREQUENT MEETINGS BY PAS STAFF WITH KEY JOURNALISTS,
IRAQI AND ARAB EXPATRIATES, UAE NATIONALS, AND OTHER
INTERLOCUTORS TO DISCUSS PUBLIC OPINION AND TO SOLICIT
INPUT ON HOW TO SHAPE OUR MESSAGE;
- DAILY MEDIA REACTION REPORTING;
- DAILY IRAQ PD TASKFORCE REPORTING;
- PAS STAFF UPDATED EMBASSY WEBSITE DAILY WITH IMPORTANT
POLICY STATEMENTS, KEY SPEECHES, IMPORTANT PD DOCUMENTS,
AND POSITIVE PHOTOGRAPHS.
- PLANNING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH DEPUTY SECRETARY
ARMITAGE FOR AL-KHALEEJ ARABIC DAILY, THE MOST ANTI-
AMERICAN UAE DAILY, SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 18.


3. THE CHALLENGES REMAIN MANY. FIRST, WE COMMEND THE
IRAQ PD TASKFORCE AND STATE FOR TIMELY ASSISTANCE IN
PROVIDING A WEALTH OF KEY PD MATERIALS. THE IRAQ PD
TASKFORCE FOLLOWED UP SWIFTLY ON POST'S REQUESTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS WITH DOD, CENTCOM, AND USAID; THE TURN-
AROUND WAS EXTRAORDINARY. TO FURTHER IMPROVE THIS
EFFORT, WE RECOMMEND THAT KEY STATE OFFICIALS CONTINUE
CURRENT PRESS OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH ARABIC TRANSLATIONS
IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL MEDIA PLACEMENT.
LIKEWISE, MORE ARABIC TRANSLATIONS ARE NEEDED THE SAME
DAY OF IMPORTANT SPEECHES AND FOR IMPORTANT PD
DOCUMENTS, SUCH AS MISINFORMATION/DISINFORMATION
REPORTS, PHOTOGRAPH CAPTIONS, AND TALKING POINTS FOR
POST PRINCIPALS. POSTS HAVE HAD TO TRANSLATE THESE
LOCALLY, WITH INADEQUATE TIME AND STAFF.


4. IN THIS EMOTIONAL CLIMATE, SYMBOLIC IMAGES AND
GESTURES TAKE ON EVEN MORE IMPORTANCE THAN USUAL.
IMAGES OF THE RAISING OF AN AMERICAN FLAG, THE LOOTING
OF THE BAGHDAD MUSEUM, OR THE BURNING OF THE PRINCIPAL
IRAQI LIBRARIES ARE DEEPLY DISTURBING TO OUR AUDIENCES
IN THE UAE. THEY PLAY INTO POPULAR FEARS THAT OUR TRUE
AIM IS TO SUBJUGATE AND HUMILIATE THE ARABS AND DESTROY
IRAQ'S NATIONAL IDENTITY. VISIBLE GESTURES SUCH AS THE
PROMPT DISPATCH OF A TEAM OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND
CONSERVATIONISTS TO IRAQ TO SALVAGE REMAINING
ANTIQUITIES WOULD RESONATE WITH OUR AUDIENCES MORE THAN
OFFICIAL STATEMENTS THAT WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN. IN
THE WORDS OF ONE IRAQI EXPATRIATE, "JUSTICE MUST BE SEEN
TO BE DONE, NOT JUST DONE."


5. OUR SUCCESS IN GETTING THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OUT
SO FAR HAS BEEN LINKED TO THE EMOTIVE IMAGES UAE
NATIONALS AND ARAB EXPATRIATES SEE THROUGH ARAB
ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA. FOOTAGE OF DEAD OR WOUNDED
IRAQI CIVILIANS AND DEMOLISHED PALESTINIAN HOMES
GENERATED OUTRAGE AND REDUCED THE IMPACT OF OUR MESSAGE.
DESPITE THIS, TARGETED PLACEMENT OF KEY PD ITEMS, ONE-ON-
ONE INTERACTION WITH KEY INTERLOCUTORS, AND
AMBASSADORIAL OUTREACH HAVE ENSURED OUR VOICE WAS HEARD.
ALTHOUGH EMOTIONS HERE WILL CONTINUE TO RISE AND FALL
TOGETHER WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ AND ISRAEL, MORE
THOUGHTFUL MINDS ARE INCREASINGLY CONNECTING COALITION
ACTIONS TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC IRAQ TO THE HOPE OF A
BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL IN THE REGION.

WAHBA