Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI4680
2003-10-21 10:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ WEST BANK

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
null
Diana T Fritz 03/20/2007 04:09:28 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM October 21, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 4680 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ WEST BANK 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 04680

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

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:HOWINDECKER
DRAFTED: PAO:AALKHATIB
CLEARED: PAO:HOWINDECKER

VZCZCADI891
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #4680 2941021
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211021Z OCT 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2143
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0728
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0762
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004680 

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
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 WEST BANK

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004680

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
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 WEST BANK


1. SUMMARY: THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, THE AMERICAN DECISION TO
DECREASE THE NUMBER OF FORCES AND THE SITUATION IN THE WEST BANK
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" CRITICIZED AS HYPOCRITICAL PRIME MINISTER
SHARON'S STATEMENT THAT EXPELLING ARAFAT IS AGAINST ISRAELI
INTERESTS. ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" NOTED THAT THE
DECISION TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF U.S. SOLDIERS IN IRAQ IS NOT
THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR DECREASING THE SECURITY THREATS FACING
THEM. END SUMMARY.


2. NOTING THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL'S REQUEST TO WASHINGTON TO
CALL UPON THE IRAQI SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN WHO WERE DEMOBILIZED,
ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED
10/21:

"...THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNING COUNCIL FOUND ITSELF UNABLE TO
IMPOSE SECURITY IN ANY AREA OF IRAQ, SINCE IT DOES NOT CONTROL
THE TROOPS AND CAN'T MANAGE THE NEW POLICE WHICH IS INEXPERIENCED
COMPARED TO A MOVING POWER THAT KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT STREET AND
CITY BATTLES... IRAQ NOW IS IN GREAT NEED OF AN ARMY, POLICE, AND
EDUCATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONALS TO TAKE OVER THE
POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT... IN ORDER FOR STABILITY TO BE
CONTINUOUS, BRINGING BACK THE IRAQI MILITARY AND POLICE SHOULD BE
AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PLAN TO REPLACE THE OCCUPATION FORCES
WITH ARAB FORCES WHOSE ROLE WILL BE TO HELP TRANSFER THE
ADMINISTRATION TO THE IRAQIS THROUGH DEMOCRATIC VOTING."



3. COMMENTING ON ISRAEL LEAKING SOME INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR
BATTLE TRAINING ON THE EGYPTIAN FRONTIER, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 10/20:

"... THE ISRAELI MILITARY PREPARATIONS HAVE ONE MEANING, AND THAT
IS RIPPING UP THE OSLO AGREEMENT, ENDING THE 'STOPPING OF
CONFRONTATION' AGREEMENT ON THE SYRIAN FRONTIER, AND TEARING UP
THE 'CAMP DAVID' AGREEMENT ON THE EGYPTIAN FRONTIER, AND THIS IS
ALSO THE SITUATION REGARDING THE 'WADI ARABA' AGREEMENT FOR
JORDAN... ISRAEL HAS WON ITS SHARE OF AGREEMENTS, TREATIES, AND
HAS LIED ABOUT PURSUIT OF PEACE BY ACHIEVING MORE STRATEGIC
SUPERIORITY ON ALL LEVELS. IT ALSO DISABLED ALL THE ACTIVE
ARABIC MILITARY, POLITICS, AND ECONOMIC AGENDAS, AND WITH THE
AMERICAN EXISTENCE IN IRAQ IT (ISRAEL) SEEMS AS IF IT IS
DOMINATING THE WHOLE REGION..."


3. NOTING THE SUGGESTION REGARDING DECREASING THE NUMBER OF
SOLDIERS IN IRAQ GRADUALLY, "AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 10/20:

"...THE DECREASE SUGGESTED WILL NOT PREVENT THE DANGERS THE U.S.
TROOPS ARE FACING SINCE THEY ARE SPREAD OVER A LARGE AREA OF LAND
AND ARE DAILY BEING FACED BY ARMED ATTACKS THAT LEAD TO THE DEATH
OF A NUMBER OF U.S. SOLDIERS AND INJURY OF HUNDREDS... DESPITE
THE CLAIMS OF THE HARDNESS AND COMPLICATIONS OF THE EQUATION, ITS
SOLUTION IS EASY IF THE ACTIVE WILL OF IRAQIS WAS AVAILABLE TO
GET OUT OF THIS DILEMMA. THE SOLUTION IS BASED ON THE WITHDRAWAL
OF THE OCCUPATION FORCES AT THE SAME TIME AS FOREIGN AND ARAB
FORCES TAKE THEIR PLACE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO SPREADING SELF-
CONFIDENCE WITHIN THE IRAQI PEOPLE..."


4. DESCRIBING THE REASONS BEHIND PRIME MINISTER SHARON'S NEW
ATTITUDE REGARDING THE EXPULSION OF PRESIDENT ARAFAT, DUBAI-BASED
BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 10/19:

"... THIS NEW 'SHARONI' ATTITUDE MEANS THAT THE ZIONIST PRIME
MINISTER AGREED TO THE U.S. ATTITUDE THAT REJECTS EXPELLING
ARAFAT, AND THIS REJECTION IS NOT OUT OF LOVE FOR THE PRESIDENT
OF THE PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT BUT BECAUSE EXPELLING HIM WILL
ALLOW HIM FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT... THIS IS NOT ALL, THE SLAUGHTERER
SHARON IS LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO PIN ON HIS FAILURE OF
DESTROYING THE PALESTINIAN ENTIFADA, AN EXCUSE IN FRONT OF THE
JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC OPINION. THIS EXCUSE IS THAT
ARAFAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THIS SLAUGHTERER CALLS PALESTINIAN
TERRORISM..."

WAHBA