UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002796

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: SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS WMD
IN IRAQ ISRAEL ATTACKS HAMAS LEADERS



1. SUMMARY: THE SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS, THE US
"FAILURE" TO FIND WMD IN IRAQ, AND ISRAEL'S ATTACK ON HAMAS
LEADERS GENERATED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRINT
AND SATELLITE MEDIA. AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL COMMENTED ON
PRESIDENT BUSH'S "ANNOYANCE" AT THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON
HAMAS LEADER ABDULAZIZ AL RANTEESI YESTERDAY. UNDER THE "AL
ITTIHAD" HEADLINE, "FUTURE OF IRAQ," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA
COMMENTED ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAQ. ANOTHER "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT THE U.S. "FAILURE" TO FIND WMD IN IRAQ IS
A "STORM" IN THE FACE OF PRESIDENT BUSH AND PM BLAIR. AN "AL
KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ASSERTED THAT THE U.S. IS NOT ALLOWING OTHER
PARTIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP. END
SUMMARY.


2. DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL BAYAN" CARRIED
A TWO-PART INTERVIEW WITH FORMER IRAQI REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UN
MOHAMMED AL DOURI. DURING HIS INTERVIEW, HE CRITICIZED THE
PREVIOUS REGIME AND ALL THE CRIMES COMMITTED DURING THAT ERA.
MR. AL DOURI ALSO CLAIMED THAT ALL THAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ,
INCLUDING THE LOOTING, WAS PLANNED BY THE U.S. AND THAT U.S.
POLICY IN IRAQ MIGHT LEAD TO A CIVIL WAR.


3. COMMENTING ON THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT OF ABDULAZIZ AL
RANTEESI YESTERDAY AND ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S "ANNOYANCE" TOWARDS
WHAT HAPPENED, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED 6/11:

"... THE GOAL BEHIND THIS ATTEMPT IS OBVIOUS ... THAT IS WHY IT
DESERVES THE AMERICAN ANGER THAT WAS RIGHT ON TIME ... ISRAEL
SHOULD STOP ITS POLICY OF DELUDING THE WORLD AND SHOULD REALIZE
THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO REALLY JOIN A SERIOUS AND JUST PEACE
PROCESS WHICH HAS LONG BEEN AWAITED IN THE REGION."


4. CRITICIZING ISRAEL'S ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON AL RANTEESI,
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/11:

"... THERE IS NO SOLUTION WITH THESE ASSASSINS. AFTER 55 YEARS
OF 'ATTEMPTING' THEM, IT IS TIME FOR THE CONCERNED PEOPLE IN
PALESTINE AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES TO STOP THESE 'ATTEMPTS' AND
'TESTS' THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE SURRENDER OF THE WHOLE REGION, NOT

ONLY PALESTINE, TO THOSE 'NAZIS' AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM AND
COVER UP FOR THEIR MASSACRES ..."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "WHO WILL STOP SHARON," ABU DHABI-BASED
PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 6/11:

"... THE GOVERNMENT OF SHARON WILL NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
EMPHASIZE ITS HOSTILITY TOWARDS PEACE AND ITS INSISTENCE ON
BURYING ANY CHANCE FOR THIS PROCESS (PEACE). THE OBLIGATION OF
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS TO EXPRESS ITS REFUSAL OF THIS
GOVERNMENT'S HOSTILE AND IMMORAL BEHAVIOR ..."


6. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "MOTHER OF SCANDALS," "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 6/10:

"... THE SCANDALS OF ATTACKS AND OCCUPATION WILL NOT END, THE
WEAPONS ISSUE IS A LIE, THE UNNEEDED DEMOCRACY, HANDING OVER THE
POSTPONED ADMINISTRATION TO IRAQIS, THE OIL THAT IS BEING STOLEN,
AND THE INSECURITY AND INSTABILITY ARE ALL INITIAL INDICATIONS OF
THE 'MOTHER OF SCANDALS'."


7. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "FUTURE OF IRAQ," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA
WROTE IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 6/08:

"... NO ONE CAN DENY THAT THE U.S. TROOPS OCCUPYING IRAQ HAVE
PARTICIPATED LARGELY IN THE DETERIORATION OF THE SITUATION ...
MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THE POLITICAL FUMBLING OF THE U.S. IN IRAQ
THROUGH THE GOVERNOR OF BAGHDAD ... WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR THE
IRAQI PEOPLE AFTER ITS LIBERATION? THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE
NATIONAL POWERS ARE STILL IN CONFLICT REGARDING A CLEAR WORK
PROGRAM, THAT IS WHY IT WILL BE A MESS IF THE AMERICANS LEAVE
IRAQ BEFORE STARTING A NEW FOUNDATION OPERATING IN DEMOCRACY,
DIVERSITY, AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ... THE IRAQI PEOPLE
SHOULD INSIST ON REQUESTING THAT THE OCCUPYING TROOPS ORGANIZE
THE SITUATION IN IRAQ ... THE GULF COUNTRIES HAVE A BIG
RESPONSIBILITY IN HELPING THE IRAQI PEOPLE OVERCOME THEIR CRISIS.
HUMANITARIAN AID AND PARTICIPATING IN RECONSTRUCTION ARE TWO
POSITIVE STEPS, BUT WHAT IS ALSO NEEDED IS THAT THE GULF
COUNTRIES, THROUGH THEIR SATELLITE TV CHANNELS, SHOULD CALM
THINGS DOWN AND NOT MOBILIZE THE ARAB STREET AGAINST THE U.S ..."


8. COMMENTING ON THE U.S. TAKING SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
ROADMAP, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 6/07:

"... FOR THE U.S. TO BE THE ONLY DECISION MAKER, THIS WILL NOT
FULFILL THE DESIRED LASTING SOLUTION AND FAIR RESPONSIBILITY IN
THE LEAST, SINCE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION
MINIMIZES ANY HOPE OF A JUST SOLUTION. AGAIN THE U.S.,
'VICTORIOUS' IN IRAQ, IMPOSED ITS REGIONAL AGENDA BY DOMINATING
THE DECISION FOR A SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE ON THE BASIS
OF GUARANTEEING THE 'ZIONIST COUNTRY'S' SECURITY, EVEN IF THIS
MEANS CREATING A PALESTINIAN CIVIL WAR SEEDED AT BOTH THE SHARM
AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS."


9. URGING THAT ALL CONFLICTS AMONG PALESTINIANS BE OVERCOME, "AL-
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 6/07:

"... WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE AGAINST PALESTINIAN AND ARAB BENEFITS,
WHICH IS WHY ALL PALESTINIAN SIDES SHOULD REACH A UNIFIED VISION
IN ORDER TO OVERCOME ALL CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES THAT THE
OCCUPATION IS TRYING TO PUT BEFORE THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ..."


10. COMMENTING ON THE U.S. "FAILURE" TO FIND WMD IN IRAQ AS A
"STRONG" IN BUSH AND BLAIR'S FACES BUT ASSERTING THAT THE ISSUE
FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE WAS NOT WMD BUT GETTING RID OF THE REGIME,
"AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 6/06:

"... ALTHOUGH BUSH AND BLAIR FAILED TO FIND EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY
THEIR WAR, THE IRAQI PEOPLE ARE SCORING SUCCESS EACH DAY BY
REVEALING THE CRIMES OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME ... SO THE ISSUE FOR
THE IRAQI PEOPLE WAS NOT FINDING THE WMD ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ITS
FIRST VICTIMS, BUT THE ISSUE WAS GETTING RID OF THE REGIME THAT
MADE IRAQ A PRISON ..."


11. UNDER THE HEADLINE "NOT FOR PEACE," "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 6/05:

"... THROUGH A THOROUGH READING OF WHAT WAS ANNOUNCED FOLLOWING
THE SHARM AL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS, WE COULD SIMPLY UNDERSTAND
THE INDICATION THAT THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM- WHATEVER ITS
MOTIVES AND REASONS- MEANS THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE AND NO ONE
ELSE, AND WHICH MEANS THAT WHAT ISRAEL COMMITS AGAINST THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THIS DESCRIPTION
(TERRORISM) ... PRESIDENT BUSH'S CONCERN IS NOT PEACE WITHIN ITS
TRUE MEANING, BUT HIS CONCERN IS TO INSURE AMERICAN PEACE IN THE
REGION AFTER OCCUPYING IRAQ, IN ADDITION TO GUARANTEEING ISRAEL'S
SECURITY EVEN IF THROUGH A PALESTINIAN CIVIL WAR, AND ALSO
PLACING SYRIA AND LEBANON ON THE SHELF UNTIL THEIR TURN COMES
FOLLOWING THE END OF THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE, SINCE THE
REQUEST IS THE SAME: ERASING ANY RESISTANCE AND ANY STAND THAT
MAY STOP AGREEMENTS WITH ZIONIST CONDITIONS."

WAHBA