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