Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI4889
2003-11-05 12:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA SUMMIT IN THE UAE

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 03/20/2007 03:50:07 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM November 05, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 4889 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: MEDIA SUMMIT IN THE UAE 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 04889

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

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: CDA:RALBRIGHT
DRAFTED: PAO:AHOSHAN
CLEARED: PAO:HOLSIN-WINDECKER

VZCZCADI417
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #4889/01 3091207
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051207Z NOV 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2321
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0738
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0768
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004889 

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
BAGHDAD FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA SUMMIT IN THE UAE


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004889

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
BAGHDAD FOR OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA SUMMIT IN THE UAE



1. SUMMARY: THE MEDIA SUMMIT IN DUBAI (OCTOBER 7-8, 2003) WAS
HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID FOR THE
THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR. THIS YEAR'S HEADLINE WAS "WAR AND THE
MEDIA." AMONG THE SENIOR OFFICIALS WHO SPOKE IN THE OPENING
CEREMONY INCLUDED SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID, SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN
ZAYED, AND THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR GHERHARD SCHROEDER WHO WAS ON AN
OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE UAE. A GREAT DEAL OF THIS YEAR'S SESSIONS
AND WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF ARAB MEDIA IN THE WAR IN
IRAQ. THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE SUMMIT AND SPEAKERS'
COMMENTS WAS VERY ANTI-AMERICAN. END SUMMARY.


2. IN HIS OPENING SPEECH, SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHID, URGED THE
UNITED STAND TO STOP THE CONTINUOUS ISRAELI AGGRESSION ON THE
PALESTINIANS AND CONDEMNED THE RECENT ISRAELI ATTACKS AGAINST
SYRIA CONSIDERING IT AS A DESTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE PEACE PROCESS
IN THE MIDDLE EAST. HE ADDRESSED THE JOURNALISTS SAYING: "IN THE
CURRENT CENTURY, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
THE INFLUENCE OF NEWS ON PUBLIC OPINION IS MUCH MORE STRONGER
THAN ANY OTHER INFLUENCE."


3. SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED PRESENTED THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS. HE
CONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICIZED NEWS REPORTING IN THE ARAB WORLD, HE
NOTED: "BEING ABSOLUTELY FRANK, WE CAN STATE SIMPLY THAT THE ARAB
MEDIA FAILED TO EXPOSE THE TRUE NATURE OF IRAQI REGIME BEFORE THE
WAR." HE ADDED: "ALL OF US WERE AWARE THAT THE REGIME WAS BUILT
ON TERRORISM AND SUPPRESSION, LAUNCHED MORE THAN A WAR AGAINST
ITS NEIGHBORS AND OCCUPIED A NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND TRIED TO
WIPE IT OUT OF THE POLITICAL DICTIONARY.... THE ARAB MEDIA DEALT
WITH THE REGIME AS IF IT WERE SAFE AND SOUND, AND WENT ALONG WITH
ITS EFFORTS TO PORTRAY THE IMPENDING CONFLICT ONLY AS A WAR
BETWEEN WESTERN POWERS AND AN ARAB REGIME THAT WAS READY TO
CONFRONT AND DEFY THEM IN THE NAME OF ARAB DIGNITY AND
SOLIDARITY.... THE ARAB MEDIA WAS DISTANT FROM REALITY AND
THEREFORE, CONTRIBUTED IN MISLEADING THE PUBLIC OPINION BY
PROVIDING IT WITH UNREALISTIC CONCEPTIONS OF PROBABLE
CONSEQUENCES OF THE DISPUTE THAT SEEMED INEVITABLE AND
IMMINENT....WE AS ARAB MEDIA HAVE TO BE OBJECTIVE. NOTHING MUST
PREVENT US FROM CRITICIZING OURSELVES AND REVIEWING OUR
EXPERIENCES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A KNOWLEDGEABLE ARAB MEDIA THAT
DOES NOT MISLEAD THE READERS, AND INTERPRETS, BUT DOES NOT
DISTORT, FACTS."


4. ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING SESSIONS WAS CONDUCTED ON THE
FINAL DAY OF THE SUMMIT WERE IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS SUCH AS
"DOES THE WESTERN MEDIA STILL SEE THE ARAB WORLD THROUGH A
DISTORTED EYE? DOES THE ARAB MEDIA VIEW THE WESTERN MEDIA WITH
DISAPPOINTMENT AND MISTRUST? HOW FAR APART ARE THE TWO
VIEWPOINTS? HOW CAN THEY BE RECONCILED?" THE MAJORITY OF THE
SPEAKERS NOTED THAT THE ARAB MEDIA PLAYED A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE
DURING THE WAR IN IRAQ. ARAB SPEAKERS CONCLUDED THAT THE ARAB
MEDIA, AND MAINLY THE TV NEWS SATELLITE CHANNELS (AL-JAZEIRAH, AL-
ARABEYAH, ABU DHABI TV AND AL-HAYAT-LBC) HAVE ENDED WESTERN
MONOPOLY ON THE NEWS THAT IS PRESENTED TO US DAILY. HOWEVER, THE
SPEAKERS CRITICIZED THE U.S. FOR RESORTING INTO THE SO-CALLED
MEDIA EMBEDDING WHICH IN SHORT KEPT ALL MEDIA OUTLETS UNDER THE
US MILITARY CONTROL.


5. ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, DR. HISHAM SHARABI BLAMED THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION FOR THE CURRENT RIFT BETWEEN EAST AND WEST AND
DESCRIBED THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION AS ANTI-ARAB. DR. SHARABI
LAMENTED "WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A HIGHLY RACIAL HATE CAMPAIGN AGAINST
ARABS AND MUSLIMS WITH THE WESTERN PRESS PITCHING IN TO MAKE
THINGS WORSE." MARTIN WOOLLACOTT, ANOTHER SPEAKER DURING THE
SAME SESSION, ADMITTED THAT "'A DEGREE OF DISAPPOINTMENT' EXISTED
AMONG ARAB JOURNALIST ON THEIR WESTERN COUNTERPARTS," HE ALSO
ADDED THAT "IT WAS TIME FOR THE TWO SYSTEMS TO SEEK CONVERGENCE,
SCOPE FOR WHICH IS PLENTY."


6. DURING THE SAME SESSION AND IN ANOTHER SESSION THAT HOSTED
PAN-ARAB ONE OF THE SESSIONS FOCUSED ON THE U.S. MIDDLE EAST TV
NETWORK EXPECTED TO START BROADCASTING IN DECEMBER. DR. HISHAM
SHARABI NOTED: "THIS PROJECT IS DOOMED TO FAILURE BECAUSE THE
MESSAGE IS BAD AND THE CONTENT IS BAD". HE THOUGH THAT THE
AMERICAN-ARAB RELATIONSHIP HAS NEVER BEEN AS BAD AS IT IS NOW
UNDER THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. COMMENTING ON THE RADIO SAWA AND
THE METVN, AN IRAQI SHIITE ATTENDING THE SUMMIT NOTED THAT "IF
YOU DO NOT LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR DO NOT BLAME THE
MIRROR FOR WHAT YOU DO NOT LIKE TO SEE OR EVEN BREAK IT. INSTEAD
GO AND CORRECT WHAT IS WRONG IN YOUR FACE." FEW SPEAKERS NOTED,
"THE ANTI-AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT HAS NEVER BEEN IN THIS PART OF THE
WORLD AS BAD AS IT IS NOWADAYS."

ALBRIGHT