MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ WEST BANK

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004805

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 DETERIORATING SITUATION IN BOTH THE WEST BANK
AND IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
AN EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" COMMENTED ON SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S
STATEMENT REGARDING THE SITUATION IN IRAQ THAT WEAPONS ON THEIR
OWN WILL NOT DEFEAT TERRORISM. UAE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR
DR. ABDULKAHLEQ ABDULLAH NOTED THAT SECURITY IN THE GULF IS AN
ILLUSION IN "AL KHALEEJ". END SUMMARY.


2. NOTING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD'S STATEMENT
REGARDING THE SITUATION IN IRAQ THAT WEAPONS ON THEIR OWN WILL
NOT DEFEAT TERRORISM, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 10/29:

"... OF COURSE WEAPONS ON THEIR OWN WILL NOT DEFEAT TERRORISM,
AND ALSO THOUGHTS AND 'BRAINS,' WHICH SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TALKED
ABOUT, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONFRONT TERRORISM BECAUSE IMPOSING
THOUGHTS, BRAIN-WASHING MINDS, AND ELIMINATING THE CULTURE AND
IDENTITY OF OTHERS IS SOME KIND OF EXCESSIVENESS IN USING POWER
AND THREATS... THE U.S. KNOWS EXACTLY THE SUCCESSFUL PATH TO
CONFRONT TERRORISM AND DESTROY IT FOREVER. THIS PATH IS TO
IMPLEMENT THE JUST AND INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATIVE STANDARDS
WITHOUT ANY DISCRIMINATION REGARDING INTERNATIONAL ISSUES,
ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE REGION, WHICH ARE USUALLY DECIDED UPON
CLEARLY BY THE UN, IN ADDITION TO STOPPING THE OPPRESSION OF
PEOPLE AND SPREADING JUSTICE, EQUALITY, AND FREEDOM, WHICH ARE
THE PRINCIPLES THE U.S. IS CALLING FOR AND IS KNOWN TO THE WORLD
AS THE GREATEST COUNTRY THROUGH THESE PRINCIPLES. WHY DOESN'T
THE U.S. IMPLEMENT THESE PRINCIPLES TO DESTROY TERRORISM?"


3. COMMENTING ON PRIME MINISTER SHARON'S INCREASING NEGATIVE
ATTITUDE AND THE 'GROUP EXECUTION PARTIES' HE HAS BEEN ORDERING,
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 10/29:

"... THERE IS A NEED FOR AN ARAB MEETING, A NEED FOR AN
EXCEPTIONAL ARAB SUMMIT, WHICH WILL OPEN A NEW ERA OF PURSUING
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ARAB ISSUES, IN ORDER TO SAVE WHAT CAN BE
SAVED BEFORE IT IS GOBBLED UP BY THE SHARONIANS."


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "SECURITY ILLUSIONS IN THE GULF
COUNTRIES," UAE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR DR. ABDULKHALEQ
ABDULLAH WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 10/28:

"... THE EXISTENCE OF THE U.S. AGENDA OF INTERFERENCE AND THE
PRESENCE OF AMERICAN TROOPS IN IRAQ AND ALL THE GULF AREA ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABSENCE OF SECURITY IN THIS ACTIVE AREA OF
THE WORLD... THE AMERICAN GOALS WERE KNOWN, ANNOUNCED, AND CLEAR
IN THE PAST. THE U.S. IS SEEKING TO CONTROL THE OIL TO GUARANTEE
ITS FLOW IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET... OIL IS WHAT BROUGHT THE
U.S. TO THE GULF AREA, BUT AFTER 9/11 WASHINGTON DEVELOPED ITS
AGENDAS PAST THE NEED FOR OIL TO A MOOD OF REVENGE AGAINST ALL
COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, ESPECIALLY IRAQ, IRAN, AND SAUDI ARABIA.
THE U.S. IS TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO CHANGE THE GOVERNMENTS AND
THAT'S WHAT THEY DID IN IRAQ. IT IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE NEED
TO CHANGE POLICIES AND IS PRESSURING COUNTRIES OF THE REGION
TOWARDS THAT... IT ALSO WANTS TO IMPOSE ITSELF AS A NINTH GULF
COUNTRY, THAT HAS THE SOVEREIGNTY RIGHTS THAT ALL THE OTHER EIGHT
COUNTRIES HAVE AND MAYBE BECOME A MEMBER OF THE GCC... TO ACHIEVE
SECURITY IN THE GULF, THE OCCUPATION SHOULD END AND THE AMERICAN
TROOPS SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ AND BE REPLACED BY NATIONAL
IRAQI TROOPS WITH TEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE. IN THE LONG
RUN, SECURITY IN THE GULF WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED EXCEPT IF THE
AMERICANS WITHDRAW GRADUALLY AND STRATEGICALLY NOT ONLY FROM
IRAQ, BUT ALSO FROM THE WHOLE REGION... MOST PROBABLY THE U.S.
WILL NOT TAKE THIS STEP IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO
THE SECURITY IN THE GULF BECOMING AN ILLUSION..."

ALBRIGHT