MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ, MEPI, AND DEMOCRACY IN THE GULF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000046

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP (LMALENAS),NEA/PPD (JDAVIES),NEA/P
(ACASPER),INR
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: IRAQ, MEPI, AND DEMOCRACY IN THE GULF



1. SUMMARY: UAE MEDIA FOCUSED ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S RECENT SPEECH
AT FORT HOOD MILITARY BASE IN TEXAS. "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THE
FACTS ON THE GROUND PROVE PRESIDENT BUSH'S ALLEGATIONS ON IRAQ
HAVING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ARE NOT TRUE. WRITERS AND OP-
EDS ALSO COMMENTED ON MEPI IN THE ARABIC DAILIES. DR. SHAMLAN AL
EISA WARNED IN AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL THAT GULF STATES MUST
NOT DELAY COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS. EGYPTIAN WRITER JALAL AREF
DESCRIBES MEPI IN "AL BAYAN" AS A COMEDY, AND A PROOF THAT
AMERICANS - DESPITE THEIR ARROGANCE - ENJOY SOME SENSE OF HUMOUR.
MEANWHILE, IN "AL BAYAN," COLUMNIST AHMED AMRABI BELIEVES THE
U.S. WILL LOSE ITS WAR AGAINST ISLAM AND MUSLIMS. CALLING FOR A
CHANGE OF THE "MOUNTAINS OF HATRED INTO TOWERS OF LOVE," DR.
MURAD RAGHEB HANNA URGED THE U.S. TO SPEND THE $200 BILLION
ALLOCATED FOR A WAR ON IRAQ ON THE POOR WHO NEED IT MOST.


2. ARGUING AGAINST PRESIDENT BUSH'S DESCRIPTION OF IRAQ AS A
THREAT TO THE U.S., SHARJAH-BASED BAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED ON 1/5:

"... FACTS PROVE THE U.S. PRESIDENT'S ALLEGATIONS ARE NOT TRUE.
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE GROUND TOTALLY CONTRADICTS HIS SPEECH. THE
U.S. AFTER 9/11 BECAME A THREAT TO IRAQ, THE REGION, AND EVEN THE
WHOLE WORLD. THE NATIONAL STRATEGY ANNOUNCED RECENTLY IS A CLEAR
STRATEGY OF WAR AGAINST ANYONE WHO STANDS IN ITS (THE U.S.) WAY
OR ENDANGERS ITS INTERESTS."


3. COMMENTING ON THE REACTION OF GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL STATES
TO A NEGATIVE U.S. MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND MEPI, DR. SHAMLAN AL EISA
WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL "AL ITTIHAD" ON 1/5:

"... THE GULF STATES NEITHER ABSORB THE NEXT AMERICAN STEPS NOR
UNDERSTAND THE TRANSFORMATION TOWARDS DEMOCRACY... WE, IN THE
GULF, PAY A HIGH PRICE FOR THE WRONG POLICIES OF OUR GOVERNMENTS
AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF SECURITY AND
DEFENSE. BUT WHEN THERE IS A REAL THREAT, OUR COUNTRIES ARE
UNABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND RELY ON OTHERS TO DO THAT ... IT
IS OBVIOUS IRAQ WILL BE QUALIFIED TO BECOME THE MINARET OF
DEMOCRACY IN THE WHOLE ARAB WORLD AND THE BASE OF THE POLICY OF
CHANGE. QATAR, BAHRAIN, AND OMAN WILL BE THE FOCUS OF THE U.S.
AFTER BAGHDAD... THE GULF STATES ARE NOW STANDING AT A
CROSSROADS, WHETHER TO TAKE THE AMERICAN TRAIN AND CONTROL THE
EXPECTED DAMAGES, OR STEP ASIDE AND BEAR THE IMPACT OF A HIT BY
THE COMING CHANGE."


4. DESCRIBING MEPI AS A HUMOUROUS PLAY ON WORDS, DEPUTY CHIEF
EDITOR OF EGYPTIAN "AKHABR AL YOUM" WROTE IN DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-
ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" ON 1/5:

"THE $29-MILLION 'COMEDY' OF AN INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY SECRETARY
OF STATE COLIN POWELL TO TEACH ARABS THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS (I DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS NOT $30
MILLION) WINS OVER THE COMEDIES WE WATCH DURING RAMADAN. IT ALSO
PROVES AMERICANS - DESPITE THEIR ARROGANCE - ENJOY SOME SENSE OF
HUMOUR ... WHEN WASHINGTON TALKS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP (ESPECIALLY
THESE DAYS),THE MATTER IS A POLITICAL COMEDY. WASHINGTON
REFUSES TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP EVEN WITH ITS CLOSES ALLY IN
DECISION-MAKING. THUS, IT WILL NOT VOLUNTEER TO MAKE ARABS ITS
PARTNERS... THE U.S. PRESIDENT FACILITATES THE MOST HORRIBLE
MASSACRES AND GIVES ALL U.S. SUPPORT TO SHARON AND HIS GANG TO
PRACTICE HIS TERROR ON PALESTINIANS AND ARABS, WHO THEN SHOULD BE
THE FIRST STEP TO JOIN POWELL'S SCHOOL OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN
RIGHTS ... WHERE IS THE AMERICAN TALK ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN
RIGHTS FROM WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE ISRAEL? WHY DOESN'T WASHINGTON
ACT QUICKLY AS IT DID IN THE CASE OF SA'ADUL DIN IBRAHIM, WHEN
MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION PERSONALLY PUT ALL ITS
PRESSURE ON EGYPT, FREEZING ECONOMIC AID, AND INITIATING A MEDIA
CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE SENTENCE.


5. CLAIMING THE U.S. WILL LOSE ITS 'BATTLE' AGAINST ISLAM, AHMED
AMRABI WROTE IN "AL BAYAN" ON 1/5:

"... WITH THE ABSENCE OF AN ALTERNATIVE THOUGHT SUITABLE FOR ARAB
AND MUSLIM YOUTH, THE AMERICAN WAR AGAINST ISLAM UNDER THE SLOGAN
'WAR ON TERRORISM' WILL ONLY ATTRACT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO ISLAM.
ISLAM IS NOT A STUPID FAITH AND THE QURAN IS NOT MERE PREACHING
... A MUSLIM WORKS FOR THIS LIFE AND THE LIFE AFTER...
CONSEQUENTLY, HOW CAN THE U.S. HOPE TO SUMMARIZE ITS WAR AGAINST
ISLAM AND MUSLIMS INTO ONLY ONE WORD, 'TERRORISM'."


6. ARGUING THE U.S. IMPOSES ITS PRINCIPLES ON ARABS, ALGERIAN
WRITER DR. KHAIRUL DEEN AL AYEB SAID IN "AL BAYAN" ON 1/6:

"... THE TRUTH IS THAT THE U.S. WANTS TO ISOLATE ANY COUNTRIES
DEFYING ITS PRINCIPLES BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
FURTHERMORE, IT (THE U.S.) WANTS TO IMPOSE THESE PRINCIPLES ON
ARAB SOCIETIES, ESPECIALLY CONSERVATIVE ONES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA
... ANY SANE PERSON COMPREHENDS THE BUILD UP OF ARMIES IS NOT TO
STRIKE IRAQ ... THE EQUATION IS SIMPLY EITHER COUNTRIES ADAPT TO
THE NEW WORLD ORDER, OR THEY WILL BE BESIEGED AND PARALYZED UNTIL
THEY YIELD BY FORCE TO U.S. ORDERS ... ALL ARABS MUST MAKE A
QUICK DECISION, AS OUR DESTINY AND EXISTENCE BECOME A SUBJECT TO
BARGAINING. THE FEAR IS THAT WE END UP AT THE MARGIN OF THE
ARRANGED NEW WORLD ORDER. THE REAL FEAR IS THAT, ONE DAY, WE
PERISH IN THE SAME WAY AS PREVIOUS CIVILIZATIONS."


7. UNDER THE HEADLINE "HOW CAN THE U.S. BE AN EMPIRE OF GOOD?"
DR. MURAD RAGHEB HANNA WROTE IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 1/6:

"... THE U.S. ALLOCATES MONEY TO FINANCE A WAR, WHICH MAY COST
$200 BILLION ... THE U.S. CAN UTILIZE THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY -
IF IT DESIRES - TO CIVILIZE THE ENTIRE WORLD AND CHANGE MOUNTAINS
OF HATRED INTO TOWERS OF LOVE, ESPECIALLY IF IT FEEDS MILLIONS OF
HUNGRY CHILDREN IN THE WORLD. THIS AMOUNT IS ENOUGH TO SOLVE ALL
THE PROBLEMS OF POOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES, WHICH SUFFER FROM THE
TERRORISM OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN LUXURY ON THIS EARTH. THE U.S.
CAN WIN THE LOVE, APPRECIATION, AND RESPECT OF THE ENTIRE WORLD,
IF IT CARES FOR THE LIFE OF THOSE CHILDREN, INSTEAD OF KILLING
THE CHILDREN OF IRAQ."

WAHBA