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