CENTCOM COMMANDER GENERAL ABIZAID TELLS ABU DHABI TV

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004479

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/P; NEA/NGA; NEA/FO; PA;
INR/NESA; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, MOC (MHAMBLEY)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OIIP KPAO TC
SUBJECT: CENTCOM COMMANDER GENERAL ABIZAID TELLS ABU DHABI TV
THAT US SEEKS "TO MAKE IRAQ A BETTER PLACE"



1. SUMMARY: ON SEPTEMBER 28, US CENTRAL COMMAND COMMANDER
GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH REGIONAL ARABIC
SATELLITE TV CHANNEL ABU DHABI TV. DURING THE INTERVIEW, GENERAL
ABIZAID NOTED THAT MOST OF IRAQ IS CALM, BLAMED ELEMENTS OF THE
FORMER REGIME AND TERRORISTS FOR CURRENT UNREST, AND DISCUSSED
REBUILDING EFFORTS IN IRAQ. IN PARTICULAR, GENERAL ABIZAID
DISCUSSED US MILITARY EFFORTS TO TRAIN IRAQI MILITARY, POLICE AND
BORDER FORCES TO IMPROVE SECURITY IN IRAQ. AS ARAB CRITICISM
FOCUSES ON IRAQI SECURITY, GENERAL ABIZAID'S MESSAGE PROVIDED
HARD FACTS THAT LIFE IN IRAQ IS MUCH BETTER THAN PORTRAYED BY
SENSATIONALIST ARAB MEDIA. END SUMMARY.


2. DURING HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE),THE
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION (PA) AT THE US EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI
ARRANGED AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL ABIZAID FOR ABU
DHABI TV, AN ACTIVE COMPETITOR OF AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA. ABU
DHABI TV AIRED THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY AS THE SOLE FEATURE
FOR ITS WIDELY-WATCHED AL MADAR NEWS PROGRAM. SEGMENTS OF
GENERAL ABIZAID'S INTERVIEW, RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ON SECURITY
IN IRAQ AND WORKING WITH IRAQIS TO REBUILD THEIR COUNTRY, WERE
PLAYED ON ABU DHABI TV'S 3 P.M., 6 P.M., AND MAIN 9 P.M. NEWS
BROADCASTS. ABU DHABI TV SISTER CHANNEL EMIRATES CHANNEL ALSO
REPLAYED GENERAL ABIZAID'S THANKS TO THE UAE GOVERNMENT FOR ITS
COOPERATION IN THE WAR ON TERROR AND SUPPORT FOR THE WARS IN IRAQ
AND AFGHANISTAN.


3. ASKED ABOUT THE "PROBLEMS" WITH SECURITY IN IRAQ, GENERAL
ABIZAID NOTED THAT "IN ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY, THINGS
ARE CALM, BUT ... WE DO FACE A LEVEL OF RESISTANCE FROM FORMER
MEMBERS OF THE BA'ATH REGIME AND ALSO SOME EXTREMISTS AND
TERRORISTS." ON THE REASON WHY THE MEDIA DOESN'T DEPICT THE
SITUATION IN IRAQ ACCURATELY, GENERAL ABIZAID POINTED OUT THAT
"ON ANY GIVEN DAY, FOR EVERY ONE COMBAT OPERATION THAT TAKES
PLACE IN IRAQ, THERE ARE PROBABLY A HUNDRED CIVIL AFFAIRS
OPERATIONS THAT OUR FORCES ARE RUNNING." HE OBSERVED FURTHER
THAT "THE MEDIA DOESN'T EVER WANT TO TACKLE THAT PART OF THE
STORY, BUT I THINK IN THE LONG RUN THAT'S REALLY THE MOST
IMPORTANT STORY ABOUT IRAQ. IT'S NOT ABOUT OCCUPATION. IT'S
ABOUT TURNING OVER IRAQ TO THE IRAQIS, MAKING IT A BETTER PLACE,
GIVING IT A BETTER FUTURE, AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE VERY, VERY
PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT ENDEAVOR."


4. TO BACK UP THIS POINT, GENERAL ABIZAID NOTED THAT THE
COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (CPA) IS WORKING "VERY, VERY HARD
TO TURN OVER SECURITY TO THE IRAQIS." GENERAL ABIZAID REMARKED
THAT IRAQI BORDER POLICE ARE SERVING ON THE IRANIAN BORDER, OVER
40,000 REGULAR POLICE OFFICERS ARE SERVING THROUGHOUT THEIR
COUNTRY, AND THAT THE CPA IS TRAINING 20,000 IRAQI SOLDIERS AS
THE CORE OF A NEW IRAQI ARMY. "THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER," GENERAL
ABIZAID SAID, "IS MOST OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES TAKING
PLACE IN IRAQ TODAY ARE NOT BEING CONDUCTED BY AMERICANS BUT BY
IRAQIS, AND THAT TREND WILL GROW." CONCLUDING HIS INTERVIEW,
GENERAL ABIZAID COMMENTED THAT "ALL OF US HAVE TO STAND TOGETHER
AGAINST THE THINGS THAT WOULD THREATEN OUR FREEDOM. ALL OF US,
AMERICANS AND ARABS ALIKE, ARE AFTER WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN
AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH COOPERATION, THROUGH
DIALOGUE, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING."


5. COMMENT: WITH ARAB-AMERICAN ROOTS, GENERAL ABIZAID'S
POSITION AND NAME PIQUE THE INTEREST OF MOST IN THE REGION. WITH
A FRANKNESS WELCOMED BY MANY OF PA'S ARAB INTERLOCUTORS, GENERAL
ABIZAID LAID OUT THE FACTS AND CHALLENGED MANY MISPERCEPTIONS
DIRECTLY ABOUT IRAQ'S INTERNAL SECURITY.
WAHBA