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