MEDIA REACTION: QUARTET IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004366

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/P; 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, MOC MHAMBLEY; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: QUARTET IRAQ



1. SUMMARY: THE RECENT MEETINGS OF THE QUARTET AND THE
SITUATION IN IRAQ AND THE PALESTININAN TERRITORIES DOMINATED
COVERAGE IN THE UAE MEDIA. "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON THE
ELECTORAL DILEMMAS FACING US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH AND UK PRIME
MINISTER TONY BLAIR DUE TO THE WAR WITH IRAQ. AN "AL BAYAN"
EDITORIAL CRITICIZED THE US DECISION TO ALLOW ISRAEL THE RIGHT TO
"DEFEND ITSELF." AN EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" LAUDED US EFFORTS
TO ALLOW THE UN MORE AUTHORITY IN IRAQ. RESPONDING TO SECRETARY
POWELL'S CALL FOR AN IRAQI CONSTITUTION IN 6 TO 12 MONTHS, A
"GULF NEWS" EDITORIAL ASSERTED MORE TIME, CARE, AND THOUGHT ARE
NEEDED FOR SUCH A MAJOR UNDERTAKING. END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON IRAQ WAR'S IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ELECTORAL HOPES
OF US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH AND UK PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR,
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 9/29:

"... WHAT WE MEAN IS THAT GEORGE BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION (AND TONY
BLAIR'S) IGNORED PUBLIC OPINION FOR A VERY LONG TIME AFTER BEING
DOMINATED BY THE WAR HAWKS, WHOSE AIMS WERE TO TAKE REVENGE ON
ALL ARABS AND MUSLIMS AND TO SERVE THE ZIONIST ENTITY AND ITS
AMBITIONS NOT ONLY IN PALESTINE BUT ALSO IN THE WHOLE ARAB REGION
... DESPITE THE SNOBBISHNESS OF A NUMBER OF LEADERS IN BUSH'S
ADMINISTRATION (AND BLAIR'S),BETS ARE STILL ON THE SIDE OF GOOD
REPRESENTED BY FRANCE, RUSSIA, GERMANY, AND CHINA TO A CERTAIN
POINT. THEY WILL GUARANTEE A STRENGTHENING THE OCCUPIER'S
DILEMMA AND WILL CLOSE THE ROAD IN FRONT OF BUSH FOR A SECOND
ELECTION AND BLAIR FOR A THIRD, AND THIS WILL ALLOW THE WORLD TO
BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF."


3. CRITICIZING THE US DECISION TO GIVE ISRAEL THE RIGHT TO
DEFEND ITSELF, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED 9/28:

"... WHOEVER READS THE QUARTET'S STATEMENT THAT WAS ANNOUNCED
RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING IN THE UN HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK
YESTERDAY WILL DISCOVER THAT INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE HAS GONE DEAF
AND BLIND. THIS COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PEACE
PROJECT CALLED THE 'ROADMAP' THAT WAS DESTROYED BY SHARON AND HIS
MASSACRES AND CRIMES, IS EQUATING THE VICTIMIZER WITH THE VICTIM,
AS PALESTINIAN POLITICIANS SAY ... BUT EVEN IF THE TRUTH IS LOST
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS UNABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE
BETWEEN THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT AND THE ISRAELI WRONG, THE INTIFADA
WILL ALWAYS BE A RIGHT FOR THE PALESTINIANS, AND WHOEVER IGNORES
THIS SHOULD READ INTERNATIONAL LAWS THAT EMPHASIZE NATIONS'
RIGHTS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND DETERMINE THEIR SOVEREIGNTY."


4. LAUDING THE AMERICAN DECISION TO ALLOW THE UN A ROLE IN IRAQ,
ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 9/28:

"THE DECISION OF THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION TO ALLOW THE UN MORE
AUTHORITY IN THE ELECTIONS AND THE TRANSITIONAL POLITICAL PHASE
IN POST-WAR IRAQ, INDICATES A BIG CHANGE IN WASHINGTON'S ATTITUDE
THAT SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AS AN INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDE ... IT'S
TIME TO PUT ALL PREVIOUS CONFLICTS ASIDE AND DEAL WITH A NEW
SPIRIT AND A WAY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS IN THE PAST, IN
ORDER TO SAVE THE IRAQI PEOPLE ..."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "THE FALL OF THE QUARTET," "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 9/28:

"... THE QUARTET SHATTERED OUR HOPES AFTER THEY DECIDED TO STAND
BEHIND THE AMERICAN POSITION TO LABEL ISRAEL INNOCENT OF ALL
TERRORIST ATTACKS AND THE WAR OF DEMOLITION IT HAS BEEN
COMMITTING AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. IT (THE QUARTET)
CONSIDERS ALL THIS TO BE 'THE RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST
TERRORIST ATTACKS COMMITTED AGAINST THEIR PEOPLE' ... IN SUCH
CIRCUMSTANCES, THE QUARTET IS BETTER OFF TO PULL OUT FROM THIS
MAP ... OR THEY SHOULD NOT PUT THEMSELVES IN THIS AWKWARD
SITUATION THAT WILL LEAD TO THE LOSS OF THEIR CREDIBILITY ..."


6. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "UNSEEMLY RUSH TO WRITE A STATUTE,"
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED
9/28:

"THE SIX-MONTH TIME FRAME SUGGESTED BY US SECRETARY OF STATE
COLIN POWELL FOR THE IRAQI PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT TO PRODUCE A
CONSTITUTION IS VERY SHORT. IT ALSO IMPLIES THAT A READY-MADE
CONSTITUTION, COMPILED BY PRO-AMERICAN IRAQIS AND CONSTITUTIONAL
EXPERTS, HAS ALREADY BEEN HAMMERED OUT AND MERELY NEEDS THE
"BLESSING" OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT AND AUTHORITY ... THE
IRAQIS ARE WELL ABLE TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN CONSTITUTIONAL
REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT WILL NEED MUCH NEGOTIATION TO TAKE ACCOUNT
OF THE DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPINGS AND TRIBES IN THE COUNTRY. A
'READY-MADE' WESTERN-STYLE CONSTITUTION WILL NOT SIT WELL WITH
THE IRAQIS, WHICH IS WHY LENGTHY NEGOTIATIONS INVOLVING ALL
INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE PLACE."

WAHBA