Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI3930
2003-08-27 08:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WEST BANK IRAQ

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
null
Diana T Fritz 03/21/2007 11:29:28 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM August 27, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 3930 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WEST BANK IRAQ

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 03930

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

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

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

VZCZCADI850
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #3930 2390851
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 270851Z AUG 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1448
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0703
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0747
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003930 

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: SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WEST BANK IRAQ

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003930

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: SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WEST BANK IRAQ


1. SUMMARY: THE UAE VISIT OF FAROUQ AL SHARA, FOREIGN MINISTER
OF SYRIA, AND EVENTS IN IRAQ AND THE PALESTINIAN TERROTORIES
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN "AL
BAYAN" EDITORIAL COMMENTED ON THE "BRAVE" FRENCH ATTITUDE TOWARDS
THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE. AN "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL ASSERTED THAT
THE FAMILIES OF US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ ARE PRESSURING PRESIDENT BUSH
TO BRING THE TROOPS HOME. IN "AL ITTIHAD," DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA
ASKS, "WHO WILL SAVE IRAQ?" END SUMMARY.


2. SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUK AL SHARA ARRIVED IN THE UAE ON
TUESDAY, AUGUST 27. ALL UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA COVERED
HIS OFFICIAL VISIT WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, ABU
DHABI CROWN PRINCE AND DEPUTY SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE UAE ARMED
FORCES. ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES REPRINTED THE EMIRATES
NEWS AGENCY (WAM) OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE, WHICH DID NOT QUOTE FM
AL SHARA DIRECTLY. THE WAM RELEASE NOTED THAT FM AL SHARA AND
SHEIKH KHALIFA DISCUSSED "CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PALESTINE AND
IRAQ," "PROPOSALS TO REVAMP THE ARAB LEAGUE," THE "SITUATION IN
THE OCCUPIED SYRIAN TERRITORIES," AND "BILATERAL RELATIONS
BETWEEN SYRIA AND THE UAE."


3. COMMENTING ON THE "BRAVE FRENCH ATTITUDE" TOWARDS THE
PALESTINIAN CAUSE, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED 8/26:

"... THE DISTORTED ATTITUDE OF THE U.S. MEDIA TOWARDS THE
PALESTINIAN CAUSE SHOULD BE COMPARED WITH THE POSITIVE ATTITUDE
IN EUROPE - WHICH WE SHOULD USE TO SUPPORT OUR CAUSES - AND THE
BRAVE FRENCH ATTITUDE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FRENCH, AT THE ADMISSION
OF ISRAELI SOURCES, REFUSE TAKING ANY STANCE AGAINST THE TWO
ISLAMIC PARTIES, HAMAS AND JIHAD. THE FRENCH ALSO REFUSE TO TAKE
POSITION AGAINST PRESIDENT YASER ARAFAT. THIS LEAD SOME ISRAELI
SOURCES TO SAY THAT THE FRENCH STAND GIVES THEM THE CHILLS! THE
FRENCH STAND IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ARAB STAND. BOTH NEED
SUPPORT IN ORDER FOR OUR CAUSES TO BE SUPPORTED INTERNATIONALLY.
SHOULDN'T WE START MOVING TO ACHIEVE THIS SUPPORT IN ORDER TO
AMEND OUR IMAGE FOR WORLD PUBLIC OPINION?"


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "THE PRICE OF OCCUPATION," SHARJAH-BASED
PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 8/27:

"... WITH MORE U.S. SOLDIERS BEING KILLED IN OCCUPIED IRAQ, THE
VOICES OF THE FAMILIES OF THE SOLDIERS REQUEST THAT THEIR
CHILDREN BE BROUGHT BACK ... IT IS NOT EASY TO OVERCOME
WASHINGTON'S DILEMMA IN OCCUPIED IRAQ, WHICH INCREASES THE
DECLINE OF BUSH'S POPULARITY IN HIS COUNTY, AND THIS DECREASE
WILL INCREASE WHILE THE FAMILIES OF U.S. SOLDIERS FEEL THAT THEIR
PRESIDENT SENT THEIR CHILDREN TO DANGER FOR ISRAEL'S SAKE FIRST,
AND SECONDLY FOR HIS OWN SAKE AND HIS GOVERNMENT'S SAKE IN ORDER
THAT HE REMAINS IN THE WHITE HOUSE."


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "WHO WILL SAVE IRAQ?," DR. SHAMLAN AL
EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON
8/27:

"... THESE BLOODY CONFLICTS IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF IRAQ RAISE
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF IRAQ'S STABILITY. COULD SECURITY
AND STABILITY BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE FOREIGN EXISTENCE? WHAT
ARE THE POWERS THAT COULD GUARANTEE INTERNAL SECURITY AND
STABILITY? IS THERE A POWER OTHER THAN THE COALITION THAT COULD
STOP THE CONFLICTS AND ESTABLISH SECURITY? ... THE COALITION
FORCES MADE MANY MISTAKES WHEN THEY ENTERED IRAQ, THIS IS NOT
DENIABLE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT (THE COALITION PROVISIONAL
AUTHORITY) NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF THE INTERNAL POWERS AND PARTIES
IN ORDER TO GOVERN IRAQ AND ESTABLISH SECURITY AND STABILITY.
IRAQ'S PROBLEM TODAY IS NOT THE CONFLICTS BUT THE PARTIES TO THE
CONFLICT HAVE STARTED USING VIOLENCE, TERRORISM, AND THE LANGUAGE
OF BULLETS AND ASSASSINATIONS INSTEAD OF DEMOCRACY, FORGIVENESS,
BROTHERHOOD, AND NATIONAL UNITY."

ALBRIGHT