MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ISRAEL PALESTINE

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001937

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: IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ISRAEL PALESTINE
THE ROADMAP



1. SUMMARY: GEN. JAY GARNER'S ARRIVAL IN BAGHDAD TO BEGIN THE
RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, THE STRUGGLE TO FORM A NEW PALESTINIAN
GOVERNMENT, AND THE CIVILAIN CASUALTIES IN PALESTINE DOMINATED
COVERAGE IN UAE MEDIA. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL CRITICIZED THE
"WAR" BETWEEN PRESIDENT ARAFAT AND ABU MAZEN OVER THE FORMATION
OF A NEW PALSTINIAN GOVERNMENT. UAE COLUMINST DR. SHAMLAN AL
EISSA DESCRIBED IN "AL ITTIHAD" WHAT HE CONSIDERS THE REAL REASON
BEHIND ARAB GOVERNMENTS' CONCERN FOR THE SITUATION IN IRAQ: THE
SPREAD OF DEMOCRACY TO THEIR COUNTRIES. END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON THE FORMATION OF A NEW PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT,
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 4/22:

"... THE WAR OF POSITIONS, NAMES, DIPLOMATIC POUCHES, AND
AUTHORITIES GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE FORMATION OF THE
PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE STOPPED, SO ISRAEL, ALONG WITH
THE U.S., WILL NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND SOW FURTHER DIVISIONS
AMONG THE PALESTINIANS, EITHER WITHIN THE AUTHORITY ITSELF, OR
BETWEEN THE AUTHORITY AND OTHER POWERS ... WHAT PALESTINE NEEDS
NOW IN PARTICULAR IS TO STRUGGLE AND EXERT THE EFFORTS OF ALL
POWERS IN ORDER TO END THE OCCUPATION, IT (PALESTINE) DOES NOT
NEED FIGHTING IN ORDER TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM (ISRAEL) OR TO
SATISFY THEM."


3. COMMENTING ON A LOS ANGELES TIME REPORT ON THE AMERICAN
STRATEGY TO QUIET ANTI-AMERICANISM IN THE REGION, DUBAI-BASED
BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 4/22:

"... AS ADVERTISED THROUGH ITS MEDIA AND PRESS, THIS IS WHAT THE
U.S. WANTS. THIS CONFIRMS A CLEAR REALITY THAT THE U.S. IS
SEEKING TO IMPOSE ITS MANDATE ON THE ARABS ON ONE HAND AND FOR
THE BENEFIT OF THE ISRAELI ZIONISTS ON THE OTHER. WE CANNOT
DISREGARD THE 'BITTER' REALITY THAT THE 'SECOND WINNER' IN THIS
WAR AGAINST IRAQ WAS THE ZIONISTS ... THE U.S. INTENTION IS
DEFINITELY NOT TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR THE ARABS ..."


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "ANOTHER VEILED THREAT," EXPATRIATE-
ORIENTED, ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS EDITORIALIZED 4/22:

"AFTER THE SWIFT INVASION OF IRAQ, IT QUICKLY BECAME CLEAR THAT
OCCUPATION WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME, NOT LIBERATION, NOR FREEDOM,
SINCE NO STRATEGY HAS BEEN DEVISED TO ENSURE THE PEOPLE WERE
SUPPLIED WITH THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE. ONLY NOW, SOME FOUR
WEEKS AFTER THE INVASION, ARE RUSHED EFFORTS BEING MADE TO REMEDY
THE SITUATION. BUT WHAT WAS PROTECTED AND GUARDED, WERE THE OIL
WELLS AND EVEN THE MINISTRY OF OIL BUILDING IN BAGHDAD. THAT
THOSE SAME TROOPS STOOD IDLY BY WHILE LOOTING WENT ON, SEEMED NOT
TO MATTER TO THE INVADERS. THAT THE PRICELESS HERITAGE OF 5,000
YEARS OF CIVILIZATION WAS BLATANTLY STOLEN WAS IGNORED, MORE
IMPORTANT WAS TO SECURE PROFITABLE REBUILDING CONTRACTS FOR THE
WHITE HOUSE CAUCAS CRONIES."


5. IN A CLOSING STATEMENT, SALEM WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" ON 4/21:

"THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION HAS STARTED AWARDING RE-BUILDING
CONTRACTS, IN ORDER TO REBUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF IRAQ
DESTROYED BY THE INVADERS. AS EXPECTED, THE LION'S SHARE GOES TO
AMERICAN COMPANIES, WHICH HAVE DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE U.S.
ADMINISTRATION ITSELF. THIS MEANS THAT THE AMERICAN LOOTING OF
IRAQ STARTED EARLY, AND THIS ILLEGAL OCCUPATION IS DISTRIBUTING
ILLEGAL CONTRACTS TO ILLEGAL COMPANIES. THIS IS ONLY THE
BEGINNING. OR, THIS IS THE TITLE OF THE OCCUPATION AND
REPRESENTS ITS MEANING ..."


6. UNDER THE HEADLINE "LIBERATION NOT OCCUPATION," UAE COLUMNIST
DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL
ITTIHAD" ON 4/20:

"WE ARE SURE THAT THE ARAB AND GULF GOVERNMENTS ASKING THE
OCCUPIERS TO LEAVE IRAQ, AND LEAVE IRAQ FOR ITS PEOPLE TO RULE,
DO NOT REALLY CARE ABOUT THE IRAQI PEOPLE. THESE GOVERNMENTS
DREAD THE FACT THAT THE COALITION COUNTRIES MIGHT CHANGE THOUGHTS
AND MINDS NOT ONLY IN IRAQ, BUT ALSO IN THE NEIGHBOURING ARAB
COUNTRIES. THEY DREAD REAL DEMOCRACY ..."

WAHBA