Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI2576
2003-06-01 09:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: ROADMAP IRAQ

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 03/21/2007 05:51:08 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM June 01, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2576 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: ROADMAP IRAQ 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 02576

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: PAO 
 INFO: ECON POL AMB DCM 
Laser1:
 ACTION: PAO 

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:KVANDEVATE
DRAFTED: PAO:AALKHATIB
CLEARED: PAO:TPONCE

VZCZCADI191
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #2576/01 1520945
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 010945Z JUN 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0162
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0669
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0723
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002576 

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: ROADMAP IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002576

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: ROADMAP IRAQ


1. SUMMARY: THE ISRAELI CABINET'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE ROADMAP,
THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ, AND THE LIFTING OF UN SANCTIONS ON
IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN
"AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT BOTH 'AL QAEDA' AND ISRAEL
ARE SIMILAR IN THEIR AIMS AND GOALS. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL
ALLEGED THAT THE U.S. IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE
ROADMAP. ANOTHER "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ASSERTED THAT ANTI-
AMERICAN ATTITUDES ARE ON THE RISE IN IRAQ. END SUMMARY.


2. A/S LINCOLN BLOOMFIELD'S VISIT TO THE UAE RECEIVED PROMINENT
COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. SPECIAL COVERAGE
WAS GIVEN TO HIS MEETING WITH SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED AL
MAKTOUM, DUBAI'S CROWN PRINCE AND UAE MINISTER OF DEFENSE. THE
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE IN ABU DHABI FACILITATED A EXCLUSIVE
TELEVISION INTERVIEW WITH 'AL ARABIYYA' SATELLITE TV CHANNEL THAT
WAS AIRED IN ITS ENTIRETY ON 5/26 AT 21:30 (17:30 GMT). DURING
THE INTERVIEW, A/S BLOOMFIELD COMMENTED ON MANY ISSUES, INCLUDING
THE WAR ON TERRORISM, REGIONAL COOPERATION AND STABILITY, U.S.
EFFORTS TO RESTORE STABILITY IN IRAQ, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE ROADMAP. PAO ALSO FACILITATED AN EXCLUSIVE PRINT INTERVIEW
WITH DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" THAT
LARGELY FOCUSED ON IRAQ. THIS INTERVIEW WILL BE PRINTED LATER IN
THE WEEK.


3. ON 5/26, EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS"
REPRINTED A LOS ANGELES TIMES-WASHINGTON POST NEWS SERVICE
ARTICLE BY SULAIMAN AL HATTLAN ENTITLED, "FOCUS ON TODAY'S
REALITIES." COMMENT: THE REPRINT IS UNIQUE IN THAT THE ARTICLE
CONTAINS POINTS VERY CRITICAL OF ARAB AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS SUCH
AS:

--"IT IS TIME FOR ARAB INTELLECTUALS TO SAY PUBLICLY WHAT THEY
HAVE LONG BEEN ACKNOWLEDGING PRIVATELY: MOST ARAB LEADERS HAVE
FAILED THEIR PEOPLE."
--"THE FUTURE, IN THE ARAB WORLD, HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOD'S BUSINESS.
BUT THIS HASN'T TAKEN US ANYWHERE. LOOK AT OUR SOCIAL FAILURES:
SEVERE GENDER SEGREGATION AND THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR WOMEN HAVE
CREATED PARALYSED SOCIETIES. THE PRACTICE OF ART AND MUSIC HAS
BECOME A SIN IN MANY ARAB COUNTRIES. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM HAS
BECOME A SOURCE OF IGNORANCE RATHER THAN KNOWLEDGE. AS A RESULT,
YOUNG ARABS TODAY LIVE UNDER A SIEGE OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND

RELIGIOUS TABOOS."
--"WE MUST LET GO OF THIS DISTORTED VERSION OF HISTORY, WHICH
GLORIFIES ONLY WHAT OUR ANCESTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ANCIENT
WORLD'S CIVILIZATIONS AND BLAMES OUR CURRENT PROBLEMS ON THE
INFLUENCE OF OUTSIDERS. INSTEAD, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON TODAY'S
REALITY OF ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, POVERTY, LACK OF FREEDOM, AND,
INDEED, LACK OF HOPE."
--"UNLESS WE BEGIN AN AUTHENTIC REVISIONIST DIALOGUE ABOUT WHAT
REALLY WENT WRONG IN OUR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCE DURING
THE PAST CENTURY OR SO, THE OTHER SADDAMS IN OUR SOCIETIES -
CORRUPT POLITICAL AND EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS - WILL CONTINUE TO
PRODUCE DISASTROUS RESULTS." END COMMENT.

4 CLAIMING THAT SIMILARITIES EXIST BETWEEN 'AL QAEDA' AND
ISRAEL, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED 5/26:

"... THE RESULT THAT BOTH 'AL QAEDA' AND ISRAEL ARE SEEKING FROM
THESE CONTINUOUS ATTACKS AGAINST HUMANITY IS TO DISMANTLE THE
NETWORK OF HEAVENLY COMMUNITY VALUES AND TO KEEP THE MIDDLE EAST
ECONOMICALLY, RELIGIOUSLY, AND POLITICALLY BOILING IN ORDER TO
FREEZE PEACE ..."

5 ASSERTING THAT ANTI-AMERICAN ATTITUDES ARE ON THE RISE IN
IRAQ, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED
5/26:

"... THE VOICES OF OPPOSITION ARE NOTING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
DECEIVED AND THAT ALL THEY AGREED UPON WITH THE AMERICANS DIFFERS
FROM REALITY, THEY HAVE DISCOVERED THAT WINTER AND SUMMER DO NOT
MEET ... THIS IS WHAT THE IRAQI PEOPLE FEEL, AND THE POLITICAL
POWERS ARE STARING TO FEEL, AND WHEN BOTH THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND
SINCERE POWERS UNITE UNDER ONE NATIONAL PRINCIPLE, THEN LIBERTY
WILL RETURN, AND OCCUPATION WILL BE GONE."

6 ALLEGING THAT THE U.S. IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE
ROADMAP, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/25:

"... IF AMERICAN GUARANTEES FOR ISRAEL INCLUDE GUARANTEEING ITS
SECURITY, SAFETY, AND SUPERIORITY, THEN THE GUARANTEES GIVEN TO
THE PALESTINIANS ARE NOT UNDERSTANDABLE. IF ISRAEL IS GOING TO
GET EVERYTHING IT WANTS, SOME OF WHICH INCLUDES CORE RIGHTS OF
THE PALESTINIANS, THEN WHAT WILL BE LEFT FOR THE PALESTINIANS?
... THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, AS WELL AS THE ARABS, ARE FACING A
CRITICAL AND DANGEROUS PHASE DUE TO THE CRUSHING AMERICAN POWER
ALLIED WITH EXPANDING, RACIST, ZIONIST ATTACKS. BUT RESISTANCE,
HOLDING ONTO THEIR RIGHTS, AND POSSESSING THE WILL TO FIGHT WILL
PREVENT (THE PALESTINIANS FROM) FALLING INTO THE TRAP SET TO
CAPTURE THE PALESTINIANS AND THEIR RIGHTS."

7 COMMENTING ON THE UN RESOLUTION TO LIFT SANCTIONS ON IRAQ,
"AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/23:

"... BUSH LAUGHS SECRETLY AT EVERYONE SINCE HE IS THE ONE WHO
DEVOURED IRAQ AND WILL DEVOUR ITS RESOURCES, ONLY RETURNING THEM
TO THE IRAQIS BIT-BY-BIT. HE WILL DETERMINE HOW THEY SHOULD
LIVE, WHAT THEY SHOULD EAT, HOW THEY SHOULD BE EDUCATED, WHAT
ARMY SHOULD THEY BUILD, AND WHICH RELIGION SHOULD THEY FOLLOW ...
THE QUESTION THAT ARISES IS, IF LIFTING SANCTIONS ON IRAQ TOOK 13
YEARS AND ENDED IN ITS OCCUPATION, THEN HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO
END THE OCCUPATION? ..."

WAHBA