MEDIA REACTION: ABU MAZEN VISITS THE UAE PALESTINE

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003731 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 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: ABU MAZEN VISITS THE UAE PALESTINE SOUTH LEBANON IRAQ ¶1. SUMMARY: THE VISIT OF PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS TO THE UAE AND EVENTS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, SOUTH LEBANON, AND IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN THE UAE MEDIA. AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL CRITICIZED THE ARAB LEAGUE'S "SILENT ATTITUDE" FOR THE PLIGHT OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" CLAIMS THAT THE ISRAELIS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESTROYING THE CEASEFIRE. END SUMMARY. ¶2. PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS ARRIVED IN THE UAE ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, AND DEPARTED FOR DOHA ON TUESDAY, AUGUST ¶12. HIS VISIT WAS COVERED IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES AND FEATURED ON ARABIC SATELLITE TV STATIONS ABU DHABI TV, AL ARABIYYA, AND DUBAI TV. DURING THE VISIT, PM ABBAS MET WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, CROWN PRINCE OF ABU DHABI, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHED AL NAHYAN, CROWN PRINCE OF DUBAI, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, UAE ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF, AND SEVERAL OTHER IMPORTANT UAEG OFFICIALS. DURING THESE MEETINGS, PM ABBASS DISCUSSED THE ROADMAP, HIS RECENT VISIT TO WASHINGTON, AND ISRAEL'S CONTINUED CONSTRUCTION OF THE FENCE IN THE WEST BANK, NOTING THAT "THIS WALL IS A MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCK FOR ACHIEVING PEACE AND IMPLEMENTING THE ROADMAP" IN THE OFFICIAL EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY ARTICLE APPEARING IN ALL MAJOR ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILES. ¶3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE ZIONISTS ARE RESPONSIBLE," DUBAI- BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 8/13: "THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE BLOODY TERRORIST ARIEL SHARON ARE PUSHING THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. THESE NON- STOP CRIMES DESTROYED THE CEASEFIRE AND THE TRUCE THAT WAS SOUGHT BY THE RESISTANCE IN ORDER TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT THEY WANT PEACE ... IT IS THE PALESTINIANS' RIGHT TO RESIST IN ALL WAYS IN ORDER TO RECLAIM ITS STOLEN RIGHTS ... SHARON AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS HEBREW COUNTRY SHOULD REALIZE THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO REMOVE THE ROOTS OF RESISTANCE BECAUSE THE PALESTINIAN LAND IS RIPE TO CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE ..." ¶4. CRITICIZING THE ARAB LEAGUE, SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 8/12: "... THE ARAB LEAGUE HAS BEEN UNFAIR TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE TWICE: ONCE WHEN IT WAS WATCHING THEM BURN AND TOSS IN THE HEAT OF YEARS OF WAR, GRIEF, HUNGER, POVERTY, AND SUPPRESSION. AND ONCE AGAIN, WHEN IT NEGLECTED THEM AND ABANDONED THEM WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO COLLECT WHAT WAS SCATTERED, BANDAGE THEIR WOUNDS, AND REDRAW THEIR OWN FUTURE ... WE HOPE THE ARAB LEAGUE IS SATISFIED WITH ITS SUMMER AND WINTER HIBERNATIONS AND ENJOYS ITS CONSTANT LAZINESS AND SLEEPINESS IN ORDER TO GAIN THE REWARD OF THE OPPRESSOR." ALBRIGHT