MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000784

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/RA, INR
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: UAE MEDIA EXTENSIVELY COVERED INTERNATIONAL
PROTESTS AND REACTION AGAINST A MILITARY STRIKE IN IRAQ. LOCAL
AND REGIONAL MEDIA CRITICIZED WHAT THEY CALLED A WEAK ARAB STANCE
TOWARDS THE CURRENT CRISIS. "AL ITTIHAD" CRITICIZES U.S. PLANS
TO CONTROL THE MIDDLE EAST, NOTING THIS IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY
INTERNATIONAL LAW. SIMILARLY, AN "AL BAYAN" EDITORIAL ARGUES THE
INCREASING INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION TO A U.S.-LED ATTACK ON IRAQ
INDICATES A REJECTION OF U.S. EFFORTS TO DOMINATE THE REGIONAL
AND CONTINUE ITS VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. "AL KHALEEJ"
ARGUES THAT U.S. ISOLATION IS INCREASING DAILY AND PROVES THAT
THE WORLD WILL NOT BE A HOSTAGE TO THE CURRENT PLANS OF THE U.S.
ADMINISTRATION. ANOTHER "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL ARGUES THAT THE
ARABS MUST SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND JOIN THE ORGANIZED
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS
DRING THE UPCOMING REGIONAL SUMMIT. FINALLY, A SEPARATE "AL
KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL URGES ARABS TO SAY "NO TO WAR." END SUMMARY.


2. CRITICIZING U.S. PLANS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, ABU DHABI-BASED
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/10:

"... THE AMERICAN GOALS EXCEED IRAQ. THE U.S. PLAYS A ROLE WHICH
CONFLICTS WITH THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION. WHO
GIVES THE U.S. THE RIGHT TO CONTROL COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AND RE-ARRANGE THEM? WE FIRMLY SAY THAT THERE IS NO LAW THAT
JUSTIFIES WHAT IS HAPPENING. IT IS FAIR TO ASK WHERE IS YOUR
CLAIMED FOR DEMOCRACY WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO REARRANGE THE
MIDDLE EAST WITHOUT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE INTERESTS OF ITS
PEOPLE AND WHEN YOU DECLARE THAT THE TARGET OF THE REARRANGEMENT
IS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN INTERESTS. AMID THE NOISE AND DRUMS OF
WAR, WE HEAR ABOUT THE INTENTION TO OCCUPY IRAQ AND STAY FOR A
LONG TIME AFTER TURNING IT INTO AN AMERICAN AND BRITISH COLONY.
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTED BY ANY ARAB OR MUSLIM. IRAQ IS NOT
AFGHANISTAN, AND IF THERE IS OCCUPATION, ARABS AND MUSLIMS WILL
HAVE ONE STANCE AND SAY ONE WORD ... WE STRESS THAT THERE IS
STILL A CHANCE FOR PEACE AND THE CRISIS COULD BE SOLVED
PEACEFULLY. WE MUST HEAR THE VOICE OF WISE PEOPLE IN FRANCE,
GERMANY, AND EUROPE CALLING FOR PEACE AND MORE PATIENCE BECAUSE
THE MISSION OF THE WMD INSPECTORS HAS NOT FAILED YET, AND IRAQ IS
COOPERATING WITH THEM ..."


3. ASSUMING THAT THE U.S. LACKS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ITS
WAR ON IRAQ, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/10:

"... ONCE AGAIN THE U.S. DOES NOT HAVE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR
ITS PLANS IN IRAQ. IT WILL BE A DISASTER IF THE U.S. GOES TO WAR
ALONE, IGNORING THE U.N. THIS HAS ONE EXPLANATION ONLY, I.E.,
THAT THE U.S. IS PLAYING THE ROLE OF A NEW IMPERIAL POWER TRYING
TO DOMINATE OTHERS, AND CONSEQUENTLY VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL
LAWS."


4. PRAISING THE FRENCH-RUSSIAN-GERMAN INITIATIVE, "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/12:

"... EFFORTS EXERTED BY FRANCE, RUSSIA, GERMANY, AND OTHER
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MUST BE TREATED WELL AS THEY MAY LEAD TO GOOD
RESULTS. THEY ALSO MUST BE TREATED CAREFULLY AS SOME MAY
CONSIDER THEM AS A SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WRONG PEOPLE. HOWEVER,
THEY ARE A NEW CHANCE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY EVEN IF THE THERE IS
LITTLE HOPE."


5. DESCRIBING THE CONFLICT INSIDE NATO AS A REAL CRISIS BETWEEN
WASHINGTON AND ITS ALLIES, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED ON 2/13:

"... ARAB COUNTRIES MUST, IN THESE CRITICAL MOMENTS, TAKE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE FRENCH-GERMAN EFFORTS (FOR A PEACEFUL
RESOLUTION) AND BECOME A PRESSING FORCE TO STOP THE AMERICAN
DRIVE TOWARDS AN AGGRESSION BRINGING DISASTERS FOR ARABS IF IT
HAPPENS."


6. COMMENTING ON THE DISCUSSION INSIDE THE UNSC AND THE
WORLDWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST A U.S.-LED WAR ON IRAQ, "AL
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/16:

"... THE U.S. ISOLATION INCREASED DURING THE LAST TWO DAYS. THE
WORLD PROVES THAT IT IS NOT A HOSTAGE TO THE AMERICAN
ADMINISTRATION AND ITS PLANS. IT ALSO PROVES THAT IT IS READY TO
RESIST THOSE PLANS. THE ARABS MUST JOIN THIS PARADE IN THEIR
NEXT SUMMIT."


7. IN ANOTHER EDITORIAL, "AL KHALEEJ" SAID ON 2/15:

"... THE U.S.-BRITISH-ISRAELI WAR AGAINST IRAQ WILL AFFECT ALL
ARABS. THUS, THE TITLE OF THE AWAITED REGIONAL SUMMIT MUST BE
'NO TO WAR' IN THE REGION."


8. ARGUING THAT THERE IS A FISSURE IN THE ALLIANCE OF WAR
SUPPORTERS, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/16:

"... THE ARABS - WHO ARE EXPECTED TO HOLD THEIR SUMMIT NEXT WEEK
- MUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND JOIN THE ORGANIZED INTERNATIONAL
EFFORTS HOPING TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION FOR THE CRISIS,
PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE IRAQI REGIME TO COMPLY WITH THE U.N.
RESOLUTIONS, AND PLACING THE INTEREST OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE OVER
ANY PERSONAL INTERESTS."


9. CRITICIZING THE SILENCE OF ARABS, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB
"AKHBAR AL ARAB" EDITORIALIZED ON 2/14:

"... UNDOUBTEDLY, THE ARABS WILL BE THE NEXT TARGET OF AN ATTACK
FOLLOWING THE OCCUPATION AND DESTRUCTION OF IRAQ. WASHINGTON IS
NOT KEEPING THIS A SECRET ANYMORE. IT TALKS IN PUBLIC ABOUT
REDRAWING THE MIDDLE EAST MAP IN A WAY TO SERVE AMERICAN AND THEN
ISRAELI INTERESTS."

WAHBA