Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03SANAA1313
2003-06-10 09:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON THE ROAD MAP

Tags:  OIIP KMDR PTER KISL YM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001313 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/PD, NEA/RA, DS/OP/NEA
AND S/CT
CENTCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR PTER KISL YM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE ROAD MAP

NEA/PPD FOR DMACINNES, WMOONEY, JGAFFNEY


SUMMARY:
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001313

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/PD, NEA/RA, DS/OP/NEA
AND S/CT
CENTCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR PTER KISL YM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE ROAD MAP

NEA/PPD FOR DMACINNES, WMOONEY, JGAFFNEY


SUMMARY: 1. Most Yemeni official and opposition
newspapers reported and commented on the road map and the
Sharm al-Sheikh and Aqaba meetings. The two official
papers considered the road map to be an achievement for
peace if it ensures the legitimate rights of
Palestinians. However, most other papers described the
road map as a justification to eradicate the Palestinian
resistance by Palestinians themselves. Overall, Yemeni
media have adopted a skeptical attitude toward recent
Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and given the issue far
less play than Iraq received in the run up to OIF. END
SUMMARY



2. "September 26" the official weekly of the Yemeni Armed
Forces, noted on June 5 that Yemen welcomed the road map
in which the Palestinian side declared its acceptance.
The paper said that Yemen reiterated its support for the
establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as
its capital. "Foreign Minister Dr. al-Qirbi called on the
U.S. and the Quartet to commit themselves to the
implementation of the road map without postponement or
amendment. The paper noted that Al-Qirbi underlined
Yemen's appreciation of the importance that President
Bush personally committed himself to achieve a
comprehensive and just peace and to work for the
establishment of an independent Palestinian state.


3. The official daily "Al-Thawra in its June 4 editorial
considered that it was not sufficient for America to
sponsor peace or just dedicate itself to creating
confidence between disputing parties. The paper went on
to say: "Washington should exert pressure on Israel to
give up its haughty settlement policy and respond to the
essential questions that could lead to security, peace,
and stability"


4. The anti-American (putatively independent) weekly "al-
Shumu'" reported that Speaker of Parliament Sheikh al-
Ahmar criticized the "road map" saying that it is not for
the interest of the Palestinian people or Arab and Muslim
nations. "Al-Ahmar considered that the U.S. call for Arab
leaders and Muslim nations to cooperate with the U.S.
Administration in counter-terrorism is a shameful lie and
an excuse for occupying Arab nations."


5. "Al-Shura" the weekly newspaper of the minor
opposition Union of Popular Forces party, in an opinion
piece on June 8 wrote: "The U.S. Administration in the
Sharm al-Sheikh summit was able to receive Arab
guarantees to put mechanisms in place and perhaps to
administer a secret preventive war against what
Washington describes as terrorism. Washington means by
terrorism Hamas, Jihad, and the Palestinian al-Aqsa
brigades as well as Hizbullah in South Lebanon."

6."17 July" the pro-GPC (ruling party) weekly,
editorialized on June 8: "The Central Authority of al-
Quds Institution warned against making any compromises
regarding the new U.S. initiative, the road map. It is
one more step in a new series of U.S.-Zionist conspiracy
against the Palestinian people to eliminate the
Palestinian resistance and achieve Israeli security on
the account of a bloody conflict between the resistance
and the Palestinian authority."


7. "Wahj al-Haqiqa" another pro-GPC weekly, wrote in an
analytical piece on June 7 that Bush's plan at the end
does not seek to offer anything good to Palestinians, but
to save Israelis from the hands of suicide bombers and
abort that important weapon that caused heavy losses to
Israel. "There are dozens of former plans that were not
implemented such as Clinton, Mitchell, and Tenet plans as
well as numerous UN resolutions. The Oslo convention
itself was not implemented and was frozen or was left
behind."


8. "Al-Ummah, the weekly newspaper of the minor Union
Islamist opposition al-Haq party, in an op-ed article
June 5 wrote: "Counter-terrorism is an image for the
U.S. in occupied Palestine and in the Arab region. This
logic was confirmed for Arabs in Sharm al-Sheikh and for
Palestinians in Aqaba and indicated that peace is another
plot against Palestinians so they can kill each other."

9."Al-Sahwa", the weekly newspaper of the Islamist
opposition Islah party, in an opinion article June 5
wrote: "The U.S. choice of time in Madrid in the nineteen-
nineties and Sharm al-Sheikh and Aqaba now proves that
the U.S. Administration does not want to listen to
conditions or talk about historical rights. Rather, it
just wants to listen to commitments and pledges that it
considers appropriate for the region. This explains why
Syria and Lebanon were excluded from attending the Sharm
al-Sheikh summit and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were
invited instead."
MISENHEIMER