MEDIA REACTION: G8 SUMMIT POTUS EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002623 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: G8 SUMMIT POTUS EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST VISIT ROADMAP IRAQ ¶1. SUMMARY: PRESIDENT BUSH'S PARTICIPATION IN THE G-8 SUMMIT AND THE ANTICIPATED SUMMITS IN SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA AND THE RECONSTRUCTION IN IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ALLEGED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT IS JUST TO TELL ARABS THAT THEY SHOULD LEARN A LESSON FROM WHAT HAPPENED IN IRAQ. IN "AL ITTIHAD," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA CRITICIZED THE GULF COUNTRIES ATTITUDE TOWARDS U.S. POLICY IN THE REGION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. DISCUSSING BUSH'S VISIT TO THE REGION, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/03: "... THERE IS CONCERN THAT BUSH'S VISIT TO SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ARAB SURRENDER AS BUSH AND SHARON WILL NOT REST WHILE THERE IS STILL RESISTANCE IN THE REGION. AND THE CONCERN INCREASES IN THE SHADOW OF TALKS FOR DEALS THAT WILL BE ARRANGED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE INTIFADA AND THE BLOOD OF THOUSANDS OF MARTYRS AND WOUNDED ..." ¶2. COMMENTING ON A STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD CHENEY ON THE WAR ON TERRORISM, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/02: "...IT SEEMS THAT BUSH'S "PEACOCK" VISIT (NOTE: MEANING THAT THE VISIT IS ONLY FOR APPEARANCES) WILL NOT BE AN EXCEPTION SINCE ITS MAIN AIM IS TO TELL ARABS, ALL ARABS, THAT IRAQ WAS ATTACKED AND OCCUPIED SO THAT THEY MIGHT LEARN A LESSON, AND WORK WITH HIM (BUSH) TO ELIMINATE THE DISOBEDIENT AND RESISTANT COUNTRIES AND GROUPS, OR ELSE THEY (ARABS) WILL BE DESTROYED AND CUT INTO PIECES IN THE CHENEY WAY." ¶3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE," "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/01: "... THAT EVEN THE BEGINNING ACHIEVES ISRAELI SECURITY, THIS MEANS THAT THE ARABS WILL PAY THE PRICE OF PEACE BEFORE THEY GET THEIR RIGHTS, AND THAT THE PALESTINIANS WILL BE PAYING A DOUBLE PRICE THAT MIGHT DESTROY THEIR EXISTENCE BEFORE THEY REACH THEIR PROMISED STATE. THIS IS WHAT IS FEARED FROM THE UPCOMING BUSH VISIT THIS WEEK, SINCE THE CONTINUATION OF PLACING THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE MEANS THE CONTINUATION OF A DECEPTION THAT IS BASED ON ACHIEVING BOTH OCCUPATION AND SECURITY, WHILE THE PALESTINIAN ONLY RECEIVES PROMISES." ¶4. CRITICIZING THE GULF COUNTRIES ATTITUDE TOWARDS U.S. POLICY IN THE REGION, DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI- GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON 6/01: "ALTHOUGH THE STATEMENTS OF GULF OFFICIALS IN THEIR NEWSPAPERS AND MEDIA SHOW THEIR HATRED AND DISAGREEMENT TOWARDS THE U.S. POLICY IN THE REGION, THE TRUTH REMAINS THAT THE GULF COUNTRIES ARE RUNNING IN EVERY WAY THEY CAN TOWARDS THE U.S. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PLEASE IT IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE (THEMSELVES) A SEAT ON THE FAST AMERICAN TRAIN THAT IS CRAWLING THROUGH THE REGION ... WHAT THE U.S. WANTS FROM THE GULF COUNTRIES IS AS CLEAR AS THE SUN, TO CHANGE AND DETERMINE YOUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, BROADEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND SEEK THE PROTECTION OF CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN YOUR COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO CHALLENGE OTHERS, OR ELSE THE CHANGE IN THE REGION IS DEFINITELY COMING ..." ¶5. COMMENTING ON THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AND THE MANY AMERICAN "PROMISES" TO IRAQIS, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/31: "... THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION THINKS THAT ATTACKING IRAQ AND ITS OCCUPYING IS A REFUGE TO EMPHASIZE ITS POWER AND STRENGTH IN ORDER TO CONVINCE AMERICANS THAT IT WILL ATTACK WHOEVER CHALLENGES IT IN REVENGE FOR THE 9/11 ATTACKS IN NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, AND ALSO TO GUARANTEE A SECOND PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION FOR GEORGE BUSH. BUT THE IRAQI PEOPLE WILL NOT ALLOW FOR ALL THAT TO HAPPEN AT THEIR EXPENSE, AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ NOW IS ONLY THE BEGINNING." ¶6. UNDER THE HEADLINE "SHARON IS STILL DREAMING," "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 5/30: "... BETS ARE STILL ON REGARDING THE POWER, UNITY, AND SOLIDARITY OF THE PALESTINIAN FRONT, AND ALL OF ITS LEADERS KNOW THE DANGERS BEHIND THE ISRAELI REQUEST ... THIS FRONT, THROUGH ITS SOLIDARITY AND UNITY, WILL BE ABLE TO BURY THE ZIONIST DREAM AS IT DID BEFORE, AND WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT ITS ACHIEVEMENTS IN ORDER TO GO ON WITH THE STRUGGLE TO OBTAIN ITS PEOPLE'S LEGITIMATE RIGHTS." ¶7. COMMENTING ON THE UPCOMING SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 5/29: "... SHARM AL SHEIKH OR AQABA OR ANY OTHER SUMMIT WILL ALWAYS SERVE AS TRIALS TO REASSURE (THE U.S. AND ISRAEL) OF THE GOOD WILL OF THE ARABS, JUST LIKE ALL PREVIOUS SUMMITS BEFORE THEM, AND THEY (THE TWO EXPECTED SUMMITS) WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY PRACTICAL REVERBERATION OR REAL ACCEPTANCE FROM THE U.S. EXCEPT WHEN THE ARABS CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDE AND MAKE OTHERS SENSE THEIR SERIOUSNESS AND THEIR ABILITY TO ACT AND NOT ONLY LISTEN." WAHBA