MEDIA REACTION: THE GCC SUMMIT IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 005367

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; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH AND MOC; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: THE GCC SUMMIT IRAQ


1. SUMMARY: THE GCC SUMMIT IN KUWAIT AND THE SITUATION IN IRAQ
FOLLOWING THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. IN HIS "AL ITTIHAD" COLUMN,
DR.SHAMLAN AL EISSA EXPLAINS THE CHALLENGES FACING GCC COUNTRIES
BUT ENCOURAGES THESE COUNTRIES TO CONFRONT THESE PROBLEMS. AN
EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT GULF NATIONALS ARE LOOKING
TO THIS SUMMIT WITH HOPE AND AMBITION. A "GULF NEWS" EDITORIAL
URGED GCC AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES TO PUT ASIDE THEIR CRITICISMS
OF THE US AND HELP THE NEW IRAQI LEADERSHIP. END SUMMARY.


2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "GULF CHALLENGES," COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN
YOUSEF AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL
ITTIHAD" ON 12/21:

"... THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT ISSUE PUT FORWARD IN THE SUMMIT SHOULD
THE ISSUE OF SECURITY, WHICH IS AN INTERNAL ISSUE ... ALTHOUGH
THE SECURITY ISSUE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GULF COUNTRIES, THERE ARE
MANY FUNDAMENTAL CONFLICTS ON HOW TO CONFRONT THIS PROBLEM ..."

"THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IS IRAQ, SINCE THE GCC COUNTRIES
ANNOUNCED THEIR CONCERN REGARDING IRAQI SECURITY AND STABILITY
... HOWEVER, THE GCC COUNTRIES DON'T HAVE A UNIFIED GULF POSITION
REGARDING IRAQ; EVERY GULF COUNTRY HAS ITS OWN VIEW ... UNTIL
THIS MOMENT, THE GCC COUNTRIES DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF
WHAT THEY WANT FROM A NEW IRAQ. DO THEY WANT A DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNMENT OR DO THEY WANT THE PREVIOUS REGIME BACK? AND DO THEY
ACCEPT THE FEDERAL IDEA PUT FORWARD TO IRAQIS? ... IF THE NEW
IRAQ IS STABLE, THEN THE GCC COUNTRIES WILL BE STABLE AND WILL
BENEFIT MORE FROM RE-BUILDING IRAQ, BUT IF CONFLICTS RISE AND
CIVIL WAR OCCURS IN IRAQ THEN WE WILL BE THE FIRST AFFECTED.
THIS IS WHY THE GULF SUMMIT IS REQUESTED TO IDENTIFY A CLEAR
IRAQI STANCE."

"ON THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, THE GCC COUNTRIES ARE FACING
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE FROM THE U.S., WHO DEMANDS THAT THE GCC
COUNTRIES IMPLEMENT POLITICAL REFORM FOR THE EXPANSION OF
NATIONAL COOPERATION, GIVING WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS, AND GETTING
RID OF CORRUPTION ... ON THE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL LEVEL,
THERE ARE DEMANDS TO CHANGE THE CURRICULUM ... WE HOPE THAT THE
LEADERS OF THE GCC COUNTRIES MEETING IN KUWAIT REALIZE THE
DANGERS OF THESE CHALLENGES AND PRESENT THEIR VIEWS ON HOW TO
RESOLVE THEM."


3. NOTING THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE GULF HAVE THEIR AMBITIONS SET
ON THE GCC SUMMIT IN KUWAIT, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/22:

"... THE GULF NATIONAL LONGS FOR MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT
EMPHASIZE THE UNITY OF GOALS, DESTINY, AND BENEFITS. HE WANTS
ECONOMIC AND MONETARY GULF UNITY, HE WANTS A UNIFIED PASSPORT, HE
WANTS A WATER AND ELECTRICITY CONNECTION, HE WANTS A UNIFIED AND
DEVELOPED CURRICULUM ... OF COURSE, THESE MISSIONS ARE NOT EASY,
BUT THEY SHOULD BE DEALT WITH SERIOUSLY BECAUSE THE GULF NATIONAL
IS LOOKING TO THIS SUMMIT WITH HOPE FOR MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ALIGNED WITH THESE AMBITIONS."


4. POINTING OUT THAT THE GCC HAS SURVIVED DIFFICULT TIMES IN THE
REGION, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED
12/22:

"... IT IS NOT EXAGGERATING TO SAY THAT THE GCC SURVIVED A PERIOD
OF CHANGES AND CHALLENGES DURING THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES IN THE
PREVIOUS DECADE, AND THE FALSITY OF THE BET THAT THE ITS ROLE
WILL ONLY BE REGIONAL AND WILL DIMINISH AMONG THE ARAB SIDE WAS
PROVEN ... THE KUWAIT SUMMIT WILL PRODUCE A SIGN OF HOPE FOR A
BRIGHT ARAB TOMORROW WITHOUT HOLLOW SLOGANS."


5. URGING GCC AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES TO FOCUS ON ASSISTING
IRAQ'S NEW LEADERSHIP, DUBAI-BASED EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED "GULF
NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 12/20:

"THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THIS WEEK'S ANNUAL SUMMIT OF THE
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL IS WHAT SUPPORT THE SIX GULF STATES WILL
GIVE TO THE EMERGING GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ ... THERE HAS BEEN A LOT
OF CONCERN IN THE ARAB WORLD OVER AMERICA'S RIGHT TO LEAD THE
ATTACK ON SADDAM'S IRAQ. THIS REMAINS A VITAL ISSUE FOR THE
WORLD AS A WHOLE, AND FOR THE ARAB WORLD WHEN DEALING WITH
AMERICA, BUT IT IS NOT RELEVANT WHEN DEALING WITH THE NEW IRAQ
LEADERSHIP. THEY WILL BE TAKING ON THE HUGE JOB OF RECREATING
THEIR COUNTRY AFTER DECADES OF REPRESSION, AND ANY RESENTMENT
TOWARD THE COALITION SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN OUT AGAINST THE IRAQIS."

WAHBA