MEDIA REACTION: PALESTINE IRAQ TERRORISM

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002411 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: PALESTINE IRAQ TERRORISM ¶1. SUMMARY: ESCALATING CONFLICT IN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTIAN TERRITORIES, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, AND TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE REGION DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL NOTED THAT THE SITUATION IN IRAQ IS WORSENING AND THAT THE ONLY BENEFICIARY OF THESE ACTIONS IS THE U.S. IN "AL ITTIHAD," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST ATTACKS AND CRITICIZED THE METHODS OF THE GULF COUNTRIES IN DEALING WITH TERRORIST GROUPS. END SUMMARY. ¶2. COMMENTING ON THE WORSENING SITUATION IN IRAQ AND ITS "AMERICANIZATION," SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/21: "... THIS NEW FORM (OF IRAQ) TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION ONLY THE BENEFIT OF U.S. AND ISRAEL, AT THE EXPENSE OF IRAQ AND ITS PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AS THIS NEW FORM REALLY CARRIES THE SEEDS OF TRANSFORMING THIS ARAB COUNTRY INTO A LAUNCHING PAD FOR ATTACKS AGAINST OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES ... THESE DANGERS WILL INCREASE, WHILE BOTH WASHINGTON AND LONDON INSIST ON EXCLUDING EVERYONE, WESTERNERS AND ARABS, IN ADDITION TO IRAQ'S NATIONAL POWERS, FROM INTERFERING IN IRAQ BECAUSE THEY (WASHINGTON AND LONDON) WANT TO CONTINUE THEIR CRIME WITHOUT WITNESSES." ¶3. CLAIMING THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM NEEDS UNDERSTANDING AND NOT SOLDIERS, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 5/21: "... THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING BEFORE SOLDIERS, IT REQUIRES PUTTING THIS PHENOMENON IN ITS REAL CONTEXT AND UNDERSTANDING THE REASONS BEHIND TERRORISM ..." ¶4. CONDEMNING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS AND CRITICIZING THE WAY THE GULF COUNTRIES DEAL WITH TERRORISTS, DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON 5/21: "... THE PROBLEM THE GULF COUNTRIES FACE IN TERRORISM IS VERY COMPLICATED, BECAUSE THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ARE LEAD BY ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS GROUPS THAT HAVE FORCED THE GOVERNMENTS TO FACE A CONFUSED AND CRITICAL SITUATION ... REFORM IN THE GULF COUNTRIES REQUIRES BIG SACRIFICES ON ALL LEVELS, THAT IS WHY WE DON'T EXPECT THE GULF COUNTRIES TO MAKE RADICAL IMPROVEMENTS, SINCE THIS ASKS FOR THE CREATION OF PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON THEMSELVES IN EVERYTHING, INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ON THE GOVERNMENT ... THROUGH THEIR MEDIA AND SATELLITE CHANNELS, INCLUDING THE NEW SAUDI CHANNEL 'AL ARABIYYA,' THE GULF COUNTRIES HAVE PLAYED A NEGATIVE ROLE AGAINST U.S. INTERFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. WE NEED TO ASK FOR WHOSE BENEFIT IS THE SATELLITE CHANNELS' ANGER TOWARDS THE U.S.? ISN'T IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TERRORIST POWERS THAT KEEP ANNOUNCING THEY ARE AGAINST THE AMERICAN PRESENCE IN THE REGION?" ¶5. URGING THE U.S. TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN SOLVING THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 5/21: "... THERE IS STILL A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE U.S. TO GAIN A LOT OF WHAT IT HAS LOST IN THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC STREET, AND THAT IS THROUGH FORCING ISRAEL TO ACCEPT A JUST SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM THAT GIVES THE PALESTINIANS A RIGHT TO A PALESTINIAN COUNTRY AND THE RIGHT OF RETURN TO REFUGEES AND ANNOUNCES JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF PALESTINE. IF THIS IS NOT ACHIEVED, THEN THE REGION WILL NEVER KNOW A JUST PEACE, AND AMERICAN INTERESTS WILL NEVER LIVE IN COMFORT WITH THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC HATRED INCREASING TOWARDS ITS (U.S.) UNJUST POLICIES TOWARDS ARABS AND MUSLIMS AND COMPLETE BIAS FOR ISRAEL." ALBRIGHT