MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000553

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, INR; NEA/RA
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


1. SUMMARY: LOCAL MEDIA CONTINUED TO COMMENT NEGATIVELY ON
PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. ONE EDITORIAL
CALLED FOR AN ARAB SUMMIT TO ELIMINATE THE NEW INTERNATIONAL LAW
OF THE JUNGLE. ANOTHER EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT AMERICA IS THE
ONLY NATION THAT PREVIOUSLY USED NUCLEAR AND OTHER
INTERNATIONALLY BANNED WEAPONS. OTHER EDITORIALS NOTED THAT
BUSH'S JUSTIFICATIONS FOR WAR ON IRAQ ARE NEITHER CONVINCING OR
TRUTHFUL. END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON AN ARAB POSITION NEEDED TO AVERT WAR IN IRAQ,
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/1:

"...AN ARAB SUMMIT [IS NEEDED] THAT AIMS TO PROTECT [OUR] DESTINY
AND SPARES ARABS, AND THEIR FUTURE, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES. WHAT IS
NEEDED NOW IS TO HAVE THE WILL TO ELIMINATE THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE
PROMOTED BY BUSH, BLAIR, AND SHARON.


3. CHIEF EDITOR OF THE BUSINESS-ORIENTED DUBAI-BASED ARABIC
DAILY "AL-BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/1:

"...AMERICA IS THE ONLY NATION IN THE WORLD THAT USED ATOMIC
BOMBS TO DESTROY THE JAPANESE CITIES OF NAGASAKI AND HIROSHIMA.
AMERICA HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS IN AFGHANISTAN AND VIOLATED THE
GENEVA TREATIES REGARDING INTERNATIONALLY BANNED WEAPONS ... IN
HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS PRESIDENT BUSH DELIVERED A MESSAGE
OF WAR ..."


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "GIVE US YOUR EVIDENCE," ABU DHABI-BASED
PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL-ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/1:

"... WASHINGTON ENDEAVORS TO FABRICATE JUSTIFICATIONS TO LEGALIZE
ITS ILLEGAL WAR AGAINST IRAQ DESPITE THE SWEEPING GLOBAL
OPPOSITION FOUND EVEN INSIDE AMERICA ITSELF. COMMENTING ON
BUSH'S WAR PLANS, CONGRESSMAN TED KENNEDY SAID THAT AMERICA HAS
TURNED FROM A MODEL OF FREEDOM INTO A SYMBOL OF AGGRESSION AND
TYRANNY. A CONGRESS MEMBER AND NOT AN IRAQI PARLIAMENTARIAN MADE
THIS COMMENT."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE "PROOF LACKS TRUTH", "AL-KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/2:

"IT IS SO CLEAR THAT THE U.S. IS SEARCHING FOR ANY CLAIMS, NO
MATTER HOW TRIVIAL AND DEVOID OF TRUTH, TO JUSTIFY AN AGGRESSION
AGAINST IRAQ ... BASED ON THIS, ALL PROOF POWELL IS PRESENTING ON
FEBRUARY 5 TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL WILL BE FABRICATED
INTELLIGENCE DATA THAT WOULD DELUDE NO ONE. THIS WAS ALSO THE
CASE IN BUSH'S SPEECH FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH BLAIR ON A LINK
BETWEEN THE IRAQI REGIME AND THE 9/11 ATTACKS."

WILLIAMS