MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, APRIL 5-8, 2003

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000859 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/PDA (MBUCKLEY); WHA/CEN, PD TASK FORCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP PREL KPAO PGOV IZ HO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, APRIL 5-8, 2003 ¶1. Four dailies, TV and radio continue carrying numerous photos and reports of the war, taken from international reports. On Saturday April 5th, four dailies dedicated special sections to the war. ¶2. Sample coverage front-page of liberal "Tiempo" has a special extra 8 pages called "Tiempo Magazine" with a headline - "16 days of war" - with a chronology of the war in a two-column capsule. The photos show citizens of Diwaniya, Iraq watching a U.S. convoy, also a Red Cross car arriving in Basra to supply one of the local hospitals. The section includes a half page photo of a British soldier chatting with an Iraqi child. ¶3. Liberal daily "La Prensa" had front page headline "airport controlled" with five inside pages of reports and photos of the war, on page four appeared Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks after he met with President Bush last Friday, entitled "Powell: exiles will have a very important role post-war Iraq." Page five: Iraq used "mustard gas" against Iran troops during the 1980-1988 conflict 1980. ¶4. Moderate daily "El Heraldo" had ten pages of coverage including front-page photo showing soldiers taking Baghdad airport - "Close to take down of Iraqi power-- Baghdad isolated" ¶5. Liberal daily "La Tribuna" also had front page coverage with a headliner "the final assault" with seven inside pages of coverage-some of the pages show coalition soldiers when arriving at Baghdad airport with a headline "Iraqi chain of command is debilitated", "U.S. ready to take Baghdad", "Possible chemical weapons found in Baghdad", "Victory in Iraq does not depend on Saddam Hussein's destiny" ¶6. On Sunday and Monday media had a couple of pages on the war because leading news was the death of 66 people in a jail riot in northern Honduras. ¶7. Even though, there were just a few reports on Iraq, four dailies carried op-eds during the weekend and Monday. "La Tribuna" carried piece called -"Balance"; "El Heraldo" - "The reengineering of United Nations"; Is United Nations agonizing?" "La Prensa" - "The cost of war"; "Tiempo" - "The progress of war", reports of these op-ed pieces will follow. Palmer