MEDIA REACTION: RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ GEN. GARNER NEW

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001944

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: RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ GEN. GARNER NEW
PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT


1. SUMMARY: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, GENERAL JAY GARNER'S
VISITS IN IRAQ, AND A CONFLICT BETWEEN ARAFAT AND ABU MAZEN OVER
THE FORMATION OF A NEW PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT DOMINATED COVERAGE
IN UAE MEDIA. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL NOTED THAT NOT ONLY IRAQ
BUT THE WHOLE WORLD MUST BE REBUILT AFTER THE WAR IN IRAQ. AN
"AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL URGED ABU MAZEN AND ARAFAT TO RESOLVE
THEIR DIFFERENCES FOR THE SAKE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. IN "AL
KHALEEJ," DR. MOHAMMED EDREES WANTED AN ANSWER TO THE NEED FOR
FOUR U.S. MILITARY BASES IN IRAQ. END SUMMARY.


2. CLAIMING THAT THE WHOLE WORLD MUST BE REBUILT AFTER THE WAR
IN IRAQ, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED
4/23:

"... THERE IS A NEED FOR EACH COUNTRY TO RETURN TO ITS SENSES ...
WHAT IS REQUESTED NOW IS GOING BACK TO REASON, SENSES, AND
RATIONALE. IT WON'T DO THE U.S. GOOD IF THE HEAD OF THE WORLD
WAS OK WHILE THE BODY IS PARALYZED, WHICH IS DONE BY PARALYZING
THE ROLE OF THE UN AND UNSC (IN THE WORLD) ..."


3. COMMENTING ON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN ARAFAT AND ABU MAZEN OVER
THE FORMATION OF A NEW PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT, ABU DHABI-BASED
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 4/23:

"... IT IS NOT REASONABLE FOR DEMOCRACY TO OCCUR IN THE MIDST OF
OPERATIONS OF KILLING, SIEGE, AND TANK BOMBING, IN ADDITION TO
INSISTING ON BUILDING MORE SETTLEMENTS, AND REQUESTING MANY
ALTERATIONS TO THE 'ROADMAP.' ... THE PEOPLE AROUND THE
PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT INDICATE HE IS WORRIED THAT HE WILL BE
ISOLATED FROM POWER AND THAT HE WILL ONLY BECOME A HISTORICAL
LEADER FOR THE PALESTINIANS AND HIS AUTHORITY ONLY SYMBOLIC ...
WE NEED A POSITIVE INITIATIVE (FROM ABU MAZEN AND ARAFAT) IN
ORDER FOR THE 'PIGHEADED' (ISRAEL) TO DROP THEIR WEAPONS AND LOOK
FOR PEACE. "


4. ALLEGING THE IRAQI PEOPLE WILL NOT SUPPORT GEN. JAY GARNER
FOR LONG, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED 4/23:

"... GEN. GARNER AND THE PEOPLE WHO PUT HIM THERE WILL SOON
REALIZE THAT THE IRAQI PEOPLE WILL HOLD ON TO THEIR RIGHT OF SELF-
DETERMINATION AND WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RULING SYSTEM THAT IS
IMPOSED ON THEM. THE COMING DAYS WILL CONFIRM THIS TRUTH TO
GARNER, AND IF HE IS CIVILIZED AND RESPECTABLE, HE WILL BOW IN
HONOR TO THE WILL OF THE ARAB PEOPLE, WHO WILL NOT ACCEPT
HELPLESSNESS."


5. IN A CLOSING STATEMENT, SALIM WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" ON 4/23:

"THE DAILY ISRAELI MASSACRES IN GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK ARE
COMMITTED IN THE MIDST OF ARAB AND INTERNATIONAL SILENCE, AND AS
A RESULT, THESE MASSACRES ARE BECOMING A ROUTINE THAT NO ONE
CARES ABOUT. IT IS AS IF ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT IT
WANTS. FROM IRAQ TO PALESTINE... IT IS AS IF ARAB BLOODSHED IS
PERMITTED TO AN EXTENT WHERE THERE IS NO DISAPPROVAL WHATSOEVER.
SO NOW WE HAVE BECOME A TASTY MORSAL ... WE ARE WAITING FOR THE
'ROADMAP'... BUT WHICH ROAD?"


6. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "MILITARY BASES FOR WHO?," DR. MOHAMMED
EDREES WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 4/23:

"... THE MYSTERY OF THE FOUR (U.S.) MILITARY BASES STILL EXISTS.
THESE BASES ARE EITHER TO CONTROL THE IRAQI PEOPLE, TO CONTROL
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, OR TO SUPPORT ISRAEL'S EXISTENCE. DESPITE
THIS, THIS ISSUE WAS NOT MENTIONED ON THE AGENDA OF THE RIYADH
MEETING (ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS),AT A TIME WHEN ISRAELI GENERALS
CONSIDER WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE PART OF A
ROUTINE AND COMPARE IT TO WHAT THEIR 'AMERICAN FRIENDS' ARE DOING
IN IRAQ."

WAHBA