Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI3789
2003-08-18 07:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: MEMBERS OF IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
null
Diana T Fritz 03/21/2007 11:33:39 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM August 18, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 3789 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: MEMBERS OF IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL 
 VISIT THE UAE, EDITORIAL COMMENT ON PALESTINE IRAQ 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 03789

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

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: CDA:RALBRIGHT
DRAFTED: PAO:AALKHATIB
CLEARED: PAO:TPONCE

VZCZCADI460
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #3789/01 2300739
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180739Z AUG 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1321
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0699
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0743
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003789 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/FO; NEA/NGA; NEA/ARP (DJONES, TWILLIAMS,
LMALENAS); NEA/PPD (JDAVIES, DMACINNES, DRCROFT,
JKINCANOON); 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: MEMBERS OF IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL
VISIT THE UAE, EDITORIAL COMMENT ON PALESTINE IRAQ


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003789

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/FO; NEA/NGA; NEA/ARP (DJONES, TWILLIAMS,
LMALENAS); NEA/PPD (JDAVIES, DMACINNES, DRCROFT,
JKINCANOON); 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: MEMBERS OF IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL
VISIT THE UAE, EDITORIAL COMMENT ON PALESTINE IRAQ



1. SUMMARY: THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL'S VISIT TO THE UAE AND
THE SITUATION IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND IRAQ DOMINATED
COVERAGE IN THE UAE MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD"
DESCRIBED THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL'S VISIT TO THE UAE AS A
GOOD CHOICE THAT WILL IMPROVE THE IRAQI PEOPLE'S HOPES AND
EXPECTATIONS. SIMILARLY, ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AKHBAR AL ARAB"
COMMENTED ON THE UAE'S SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL.
ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" COMMENTED ON THE PALESTINIANS'
AND ISRAELIS DIFFERING TRANSLATIONS OF THE ROADMAP. END SUMMARY


2. LED BY CHAIRMAN IBRAHIM AL JA'AFARI, MEMBERS OF THE IRAQI
GOVERNING COUNCIL'S VISITED THE UAE FROM AUGUST 17 TO 18. ALL
ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES AND ARABIC SATELLITE TV STATIONS
FEATURED COVERAGE OF THE VISIT.


3. ON AUGUST 18, THE ARRIVAL OF CHAIRMAN AL JA'AFARI AND FIVE
OTHER MEMBERS OF IRAQ'S GOVERNING COUNCIL. ALL ARABIC AND
ENGLISH DAILIES FEATURED FRONT-PAGE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE
DELEGATION'S RECEPTION BY UAE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH SULTAN
BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN IN ABU DHABI. 8/18 HEADLINES INCLUDED:

--"IRAQI COUNCIL HAILS UAE SUPPORT" (GULF TODAY)
--"SULTAN BIN ZAYED WELCOMES IRAQI COUNCIL" (AL KHALEEJ)
--"AL JA'AFARI: EMIRATES HISTORY WITH IRAQ IS HONOURABLE" (AL
ITTIHAD)
--"AL JA'AFARI PRAISES UAE'S HONOURABLE HISTORY IN DEALING WITH
IRAQ" (AL BAYAN)
--"IRAQI COUNCIL DELEGATION PRAISES UAE PRESIDENT'S STAND"
(AKHBAR AL ARAB)
--"COUNCIL SEEKS TO OPEN NEW PAGE" (GULF NEWS)


4. ON AUGUST 17, AN OFFICIAL SOURCE AT THE UAE FOREIGN MINISTRY
WAS QUOTED BY THE EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH
DAILES IN ADVANCE OF THE DELEGATION'S ARRIVAL AS SAYING:

"THE TREMENDOUS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT THAT THE COUNCIL HAS
RECEIVED SO FAR IS UNDOUBTEDLY A CONFIDENCE BOOSTER. IT (THE
VISIT) WILL HELP THE COUNCIL REALIZE THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE IRAQI
PEOPLE FOR STABILITY AND SECURITY."

"THE SOURCE RE-AFFIRMED THE UNSTINTED COMMITMENT OF THE UAE TO DO
EVERYTHING WITHIN ITS POWER TO SUPPORT THE COUNCIL AS IT DEALS
WITH INCREASINGLY DAUNTING RESPONSIBILITIES, INCLUDING THE

FORMATION OF AN IRAQI GOVERNMENT AND DRAFTING A NEW CONSTITUTION
FOR THE COUNTRY."

"IN EXTENDING THIS SUPPORT TO COUNCIL, SAID THE SOURCE, THE UAE
IS FULFILLING ITS GREATER NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS IN SUPPORTING THE
IRAQI PEOPLE AT THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE. THE UAE, ADDED THE
SOURCE, CALLS FOR LENDING EVERY POSSIBLE SUPPORT TO THE COUNCIL
SO AS TO ENABLE IT TO DISCHARGE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN A MANNER
THAT WOULD PRESERVE THE SOVEREIGNTY, UNITY AND TERRITORIAL
INTEGRITY OF IRAQ."


5. 8/17 HEADLINES INCLUDED:

--"UAE SUPPORTS THE IRAQI COUNCIL'S EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE
EXPECTATION OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE" (AL ITTIHAD)
--"IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL ARRIVES IN UAE TODAY" (AL BAYAN)
--"UAE CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF THE IRAQI COUNCIL IN ORDER TO PROTECT
IRAQ'S SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE, AND UNITY" (AL KHALEEJ)
---"UAE CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF THE IRAQI COUNCIL IN ORDER TO
PROTECT IRAQ'S SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE, AND UNITY" (AKHBAR AL
ARAB)


6. DESCRIBING THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL'S VISIT TO THE UAE AS
A 'GOOD CHOICE,' SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 8/17:

"... THE UAE IS WELCOMING TODAY A DELEGATION OF THE IRAQI
GOVERNING COUNCIL CHAIRED BY MR. IBRAHIM AL JA'AFARI, THE
COUNCIL'S PRESIDENT ... THIS WILL DEFINITELY LEAD THE COUNCIL TO
ACHIEVE THE IRAQI PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS FOR STABILITY AND PEACE
AND THE PROTECTION OF ITS NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND UNITY ... WE
HOPE THAT THIS VISIT WILL BE A GOOD START FOR COMMUNICATION,
DELIBERATION, AND THINKING BETWEEN THE IRAQI PEOPLE'S
REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR BROTHERS IN THE ARAB WORLD. THIS WILL
LEAD TO ELIMINATING THE VEIL THAT HAS BEEN PLACED ACROSS THEIR
EYES ..."


7. COMMENTING ON THE UAE'S SUPPORT OF THE IRAQI GOVERNING
COUNCIL, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB"
EDITORIALIZED 8/17:

"... VIEWPOINTS MIGHT DIFFER WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAY THE
GOVERNING COUNCIL WAS CHOSEN... OR WHEN IT COMES TO ITS
RESPONSIBILITIES, AUTHORITIES, AND INFLUENCE ... THESE ARE NORMAL
DIFFERENCES IN SUCH A SITUATION ... BUT NO ONE DISAGREES THAT
THE COUNCIL INCLUDES A NUMBER OF NATIONAL PERSONALITIES WHO ARE
WELL KNOWN WITH THEIR ROLES IN PREVIOUS ERAS WHEN IRAQ NEEDED A
RIGHTEOUS VOICE IN THE FACE OF A 'TYRANNICAL SULTAN' ... THE
UAE'S SUPPORTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL IS A
CONTINUATION OF THE PATH THAT THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN PURSUING IN
THEIR WELL-BALANCED FOREIGN POLICY ..."


8. NOTING THE TWO DIFFERING TRANSLATIONS OF THE ROADMAP BY THE
PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 8/17:

"... THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS OF THE ROADMAP, AND
THERE ARE TWO PARALLEL LINES THAT WILL NEVER MEET ... THE
PALESTINIANS TRANSLATE THE ROADMAP TO MEAN THAT THE RIGHT OF THE
REFUGEES TO RETURN AT THE FINAL STAGE OF ANY SOLUTION TO THE
PALESTINIAN CAUSE. AS FOR THE ISRAELIS, THEY BELIEVE THAT THE
RIGHT OF RETURN IS IMPOSSIBLE ... ANY SOLUTION THAT DOES NOT
INCLUDE THE RIGHT OF RETURN IS DEFECTIVE AND IS REJECTED ..."

ALBRIGHT