MEDIA REACTION: TERRORIST ATTACKS, ROADMAP, IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002391

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NESA
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: TERRORIST ATTACKS, ROADMAP, IRAQ


1. SUMMARY: TERRORIST ATTACKS IN RIYADH AND CASABLANCA,
ESCALATING CONFLICT IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA, AND THE
RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND
ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" ALLEGED THAT THE
ONLY BENEFICIARY OF THESE ATTACKS IS ISRAEL. AN "AL BAYAN"
EDITORIAL COMMENTED ON THE ESCALATING CONFLICT IN THE PALESTIAN
TERRITORIES AND ASSERTED THAT ISRAEL IS TO BLAME, NOT THE
PALESTINIANS. A "GULF NEWS" EDITORIAL CALLED ON ARAB GOVERNMENTS
TO VOICE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE WAR ON TERROR PUBLICLY TO CONVINCE
ARABS AND MUSLIMS THAT THE U.S. IS NOT CONDUCTING A WAR ON ISLAM.
FINALLY, AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST
ATTACKS IN THE REGION. END SUMMARY.


2. ASSERTING THAT NO ONE IS BENEFITING FROM THESE TERRORIST
ATTACKS BUT ISRAEL, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 5/19:

"... THE MORALS AND ETHICS EXHIBITED BY ARABS IN PARTICULAR AND
MUSLIMS IN GENERAL, AND THE DEFENSE OF THESE (MORALS) IN
CONFRONTING THE BRUTAL ATTACKS FROM THE ZIONIST ENTITY OR ANY
OTHERS ARE DAMAGED BY ACTS (TERRORIST ATTACKS) AT THE CORE (OF
THE ISSUE),AND THEIR LOSES ARE UNCOUNTABLE ... WHATEVER SHAKES
THE SECURITY OR STABILITY IN ANY ARAB COUNTRY IS CONSIDERED A
FREE SERVICE FOR THIS ENEMY (ISRAEL) AND WHOEVER SUPPORTS IT."


3. COMMENTING ON THE ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION IN THE WEST
BANK AND GAZA, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 5/19:

"... ISRAELI POLICY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ESCALATION OF THE
SITUATION. IF THE ISRAELI MILITARY MACHINE STOPS KILLING AND THE
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT REACHES OUT FOR PEACE BY ACCEPTING THE
ROADMAP, WE DON'T THINK THAT THINGS WILL GET WORSE OR THAT THE
VIOLENCE WILL CONTINUE ..."


4. CALLING ON ARAB GOVERNMENTS TO SUPPORT THE WAR ON TERROR
PUBLICLY, EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS"
EDITORIALIZED 5/19:

"... MUCH TO THE FEAR OF MANY MUSLIMS, WHO ARE EQUALLY AGAINST
TERRORISM, THE U.S. FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IS INCREASINGLY
LOOKING LIKE A WAR WAGED AGAINST ISLAM. THAT IT IS NOT AND THAT
MOST ISLAMIC LEADERS KNOW THIS, DOES NOT APPEASE TO DOUBTS OF THE
MASSES, WHO PERCEIVE ONLY ONSLAUGHTS AGAINST AND INCARCERATIONS
OF MUSLIMS ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS ... IT IS SUPPOSED BY NEARLY
EVERYONE TODAY AS AN AMERICAN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, ERGO,
ISLAM. THIS IS A WRONG PERCEPTION WHICH CAN EASILY BE RECTIFIED
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ARAB AND MUSLIM NATIONS, PARTICULARLY, BUT
NOT ESSENTIALLY ... WHERE POSSIBLE ARAB AND MUSLIM NATIONS COULD
SHOW A HIGHER PROFILE THAN THEY ARE AT PRESENT DOING ON THEIR
COLLABORATION AND WORK AGAINST TERRORISM ... SUCH REASSURANCE AND
EVIDENT COLLABORATION WILL GO ALONG WAY IN COUNTERING THE
FREQUENTLY DISSEMINATED COMMENTS THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM IS A
FAADE, TO COVER THE FACT THAT IT IS A WESTERN PLOY TO CURB THE
SPREAD AND INFLUENCE OF ISLAM. SUCH COMMENTS, OF COURSE, ARE
QUITE THE REVERSE, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT ISLAM IS THE FASTEST
GROWING RELIGION IN THE WEST ..."


5. CLAIMING THAT NEITHER SHARON'S MEETING WITH ABU MAZEN NOR HIS
EXPECTED MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/18:

"... ONLY IN ONE CASE WILL THE ROADMAP SEE THE LIGHT (OF DAY) ...
AND THAT IS WHEN ALL ISRAELI CONDITIONS ARE APPROVED, AND THIS IS
WHAT THE U.S. AND ISRAEL WILL TRY TO DO BY PRESSURING MAHMOUD
ABBAS(ABU MAZEN) AND HIS GOVERNMENT. THE BALANCE OF POWER AND
POPULAR WILL IS WHAT WILL OR WILL NOT DETERMINE THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP, AND CHOOSING GOOD WILL AND PEACE
AS A STRATEGIC GOAL WITHOUT POSSESSING THE POWER TO PROTECT IT
(PEACE),IS THE WEAPON OF THE WEAK ..."


6. COMMENTING ON A RECENT INCREASE IN TERRORISM IN THE GULF, DR.
SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL
ITTIHAD" ON 5/18:

"... IT'S A BIG MISTAKE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE SECURITY ASPECT TO
SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THE ISSUE OF EXTREMISM AND TERRORISM AGAINST
THE INNOCENT IS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON THAT NEEDS RESEARCH REGARDING
ITS REASONS, FIRST CULTURALLY, SOCIALLY, AND RELIGIOUSLY. WERE
THE GULF GOVERNMENTS REALLY SURPRISED WITH THESE OPERATIONS?!
WHAT WE WANT TO SAY IS THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM IN THE REGION
ASKS FOR CHANGES IN THE METHODS OF ITS (GULF COUNTRIES)
GOVERNMENTS. REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CHANGES ASK FOR POPULAR
PARTICIPATION IN THE GOVERNMENT ..."


7. CONDEMNING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE REGION, "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED 5/17:

"... WHAT IS REQUESTED IS NOT TO SURRENDER TO THE ESTABLISHED
FACT AND GIVE IT FREE REIN BUT TO SEEK EAGERLY THE ELIMINATION OF
THIS DANGER AND TREAT THIS MALIGNANT DISEASE BY TREATING ITS
CAUSES ... THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY WITH ALL ITS SCIENTISTS, THINKERS, AND
POLITICIANS WHO HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS AND CONSCIENCES ..."


8. COMMENTING ON THE U.S. WARNINGS TO THEIR CITIZENS OF
ANTICIPATED TERRORIST ATTACKS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES, "AL-BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED 5/17:

"... IF THE U.S. REALLY WANTS TO DESTROY TERRORISM, IT SHOULD
START WITH ITSELF, AND SEEK A BALANCED POLICY TOWARDS OTHERS, IN
ADDITION, (IT SHOULD) STOP INTERFERING IN OTHER COUNTRIES'
AFFAIRS AND STOP USING 'MILITARY MUSCLE' TO DISPLAY ITS POWER
AGAINST SMALLER COUNTRIES ..."


9. DISCUSSING ON THE TROUBLES FACING COALITION FORCES IN IRAQ
ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE SECURITY, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 5/16:

"... THE PRIORITY IS TO HELP IRAQIS GET OUT OF THE CESSPOOL OF
PAIN AND SADNESS IN WHICH THEY WERE DROWNED BY SADDAM, BUT THESE
EFFORTS SHOULD PARALLEL STEPS TO HAND OVER IRAQ TO IRAQIS ..."

ALBRIGHT