KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, OCTOBER 8-15: ISRAELI RAID

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004710

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA,
IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
CINCCENT FOR CCPA
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KU KDMR
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, OCTOBER 8-15: ISRAELI RAID
IN SYRIA; IRAQI COMPENSATION; STUDENT UNION ELECTIONS



1. SUMMARY: The somewhat delayed diatribes against Israel
for its October 5 attack on Syria have a tired and formulaic
quality in Kuwait's Arabic press. Two editorialists
denounce Sharon's villainy but note that Syria must
institute democratic reforms and stop its support for
terrorist groups if regional stability is to be achieved.

One commentator writes that Iraqi compensation payments to
Kuwait for damage during the 1990-91 occupation are unjust
as they would "make the Iraqi people pay for Saddam's
crimes." An MP states that the National Assembly rejects
Iraqi efforts to "pressure" Kuwait to drop the compensation
demand.

Islamists have won Kuwait University's student union
elections for the twenty-fifth consecutive year, but for the
first time received less than 50 percent of the vote. END
SUMMARY.


2. News Stories: In response to Iraqi Governing Council
calls to Kuwait to forgive Iraq's debts to Kuwait reported
in all newspapers on October 15, Al-Rai Al-Aam reports that
MP Dr. Faisal Al-Musallam stated that the National Assembly
totally rejects Iraqi pressure regarding compensation due to
Kuwait.

All newspapers report on October 15 that sixteen MPs from
Kuwait's National Assembly issued a statement in which they
hailed the Intifada and condemned Israel's actions against
the Palestinian people.

Al-Watan reports that according to an official source, the
Kuwaiti POW search team in Iraq expects to find the remains
of 400 Kuwaiti POWs in a number of mass graves in Iraq.

Al-Rai Al-Aam reports that Islamist student groups have won
Kuwait University's student union elections for the twenty-
fifth consecutive year, but failed for the first time to
capture 50 percent of the vote.

Editorials:


3. "Compensate Iraq"
Liberal Abdellatif Al-Duaij wrote in independent Al-Qabas
(10/8): "The main goal for the compensations [from Iraq to
neighboring countries] was to undermine the integrity of the
Iraqi regime and to agitate the Iraqi people to topple the
regime. Today, after the fall of Saddam and his regime, this
political goal of the compensations is null and void. The
call for compensations now will be a tool to humiliate the
Iraqi people and lead to the strengthening of those who
oppose the new situation in Iraq. It is not just for the
Iraqi people to pay for Saddam's crimes."


4. "Sharon's Terrorism and the Arab Alternative"
Khalid Al-Saad wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (10/9):
"Sharon has set fire in the Road Map plan and turned it into
ashes. [H]e is programmed to kill and wage wars against
Arabs. Israel's behavior against the Palestinians
demonstrates to the Syrians that they must deal vigilantly
with the dangers posed by Sharon. The Syrians must also
adopt democratic reforms by boosting freedom and human
rights and achieve national reconciliation among their
political powers."


5. "Seizing Syria"
Director of Kuwait University's Center for Future and
Strategic Studies, Dr. Shamlan Al-Essa wrote in independent
Al-Seyassah (10/13): "We have to admit that the struggle
[between Syria and the US] is unbalanced and. that the
Zionist powers in Washington are attempting to drag Syria
into a war in the region. Syria must reform its policies and
stop supporting terrorists, reconsider its relations with
Hizbullah and ask Arab countries to intervene between Syria
and the US."

6. "Damascus and the `Long Arm' Message"
Liberal Dr. Ayed Al-Manna wrote in independent Al-Watan
(10/9): "Israel's raid against Syria [on October 5] was not
aimed at Palestinian bases as Israel claimed. Rather, it was
a message to Damascus that Israel can reach it at any time.
Israel's raid against Syria has disclosed a deficiency in
Syria's military readiness and we hope that the Syrian
government will reform its military institutions."


7. "OPEC and Syria"
Dr. Jallal Al-Rasheed wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam
(10/9): "We believe that Arabs and Islamic countries must
assist Syria at this time. Arab and Islamic oil-producing
countries must exploit this opportunity to remind the world
that that cards of the game are still in our hands. As long
as the world considers oil a substantial commodity, then
they must understand that our need for security is not less
important than their need for oil. Therefore, industrialized
[Arab] countries must defend Syria's security because Arabs
would not be the only losers."


8. "The Secret Proposal and the Public Goal"
Liberal Dr. Ayed Al-Manna wrote in independent Al-Watan
(10/13): "Several days ago, Sharon presented three secret
conditions to the American administration to pass on to
Syria to implement or else Syria would be attacked. Sharon
realizes that these aggressive and insane terms are just
excuses to justify the Zionist goal which is to destroy any
Arab country that could pose a threat to the Zionist State.
The real justification behind his conditions is to create a
new reality to escape the Palestinian crisis. There is no
doubt that Sharon ignores many facts and that there is no
relation between Syria and the events in Palestine. He is
only searching for an excuses to export his crisis abroad."


9. "Israel's Crimes Will Reach the Entire World"
Issam Al-Fulaij wrote in independent Al-Watan (10/15):
"There will be no peace with Israel as long as it exists,
not because the Palestinians reject occupation but because
Israel will extend its reach over neighboring countries. I
am still convinced that the international Zionists and
Mossad were behind the September 11 attacks in the US. There
were no Jews in the two buildings at the time of the
incident. It is time for the world to realize the truth
about the flashiest Israeli regime because who ever is not
harmed now, will be harmed soon by them."


10. "Let's Admit It: War is Coming"
Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamadi wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam
(10/15): "Arab and Islamic countries are currently in a
state of war but unfortunately, we refuse to admit it.
Unless our countries adopt internal reforms to grant their
people more freedom, then we will be incapable of
confronting the Jewish campaign aimed against us and the
Arab people would then welcome any change implemented by
foreign parties."

JONES