SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: USEMBASSY ABU DHABI DOMINATES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001059

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: USEMBASSY ABU DHABI DOMINATES
UAE MEDIA COVERAGE AT END OF MARCH



1. SUMMARY: DESPITE OVERWHELMINGLY BAD NEWS EMANATING FROM IRAQ
AND ISRAEL, THE COVERAGE OF PA ACTIVITIES DURING THE LAST TWO
WEEKS OF MARCH WAS REMARKABLE FOR ITS QUANTITY AND UPBEAT TONE.
FOLLOWING SPECIAL MEDIA TOUR AND EXTENDED COVERAGE OF THE NEW
EMBASSY COMPOUND EARLY IN THE MONTH, POST ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE
VISITING AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, THE OPENING OF
THE FIRST UAE AMERICAN STUDIES CORNER, MEDIA FOR FOUR VISITS BY
OFFICIALS AND EX-OFFICIALS, AND PLACEMENT OF TWO OP-EDS BY DEPUTY
SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE AND A/S MARCH GROSSMAN. PA

SIPDIS
ALSO HANDLED LOCAL, ARAB AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES
DURING THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE MISSION FOLLOWING A SECURITY
THREAT.


2. MARCH 16: POST ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON,
WHICH WAS VISITING THE PORT OF JEBEL ALI, FOR A GROUP OF UAE
JOURNALISTS REPRESENTING ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES, THE
EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY AND SATELLITE CHANNEL AL-ARABIYAH. AL-
ARABIYAH CARRIED A 5-MINUTE REPORT BASED ON THE VISIT ON THE MAIN
EVENING NEWSCAST WHICH WAS REPEATED THREE TIMES. ALL ARABIC AND
ENGLISH DAILIES CARRIED PROMINENT STORIES WITH PHOTOGRAPHS,
GIVING UP TO 3/4 PAGE TO THE SHIP VISIT.


3. MARCH 20: POST PLACED THE OP-ED BY DEPUTY SECRETARY RICHARD
ARMITAGE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL
ITTIHAD" ON 03/21. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION IN IRAQ
AND NOTED THAT IN THE PRESENT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, WINNING THE
HEARTS AND MINDS IS AS IMPORTANT AS WINNING THE MILITARY BATTLES.


4. MARCH 20: PA ARRANGED A ONE-ON-ONE FOR WILLIAM LASH, ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR MARKET ACCESS AND COMPLIANCE WITH

SIPDIS
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" AND DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH
DAILY "GULF NEWS" ON 3/21. IN ADDITION, HE APPEARED ON A TV
INTERVIEW ON THE DUBAI BUSINESS CHANNEL. IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH
"AL KHALEEJ," ASSISTANT SECRETARY LASH NOTED THAT THE GULF
INVESTMENTS IN THE U.S. WERE NOT AFFECTED NEGATIVELY BY 9/11 AND
ALSO POINTED OUT THAT GULF INVESTMENTS IN THE U.S. HAVE INCREASED
LATELY. HE ALSO ENCOURAGED GULF INVESTERS TO INVEST IN IRAQ.
DURING HIS PRESENTATION THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY PRAISED THE UAE
ECONOMY AND THE OPEN INVESTMENT ATMOSPHERE THAT IS PROVIDED TO
THE INVESTERS BY THE UAEG.


5. MARCH 21: PA ARRANGED A TELEVISION INTERVIEW FOR ASSISTANT
SECRETARY WILLIAM BURNS WITH ABU DHABI TELEVISION, WHICH WAS

SIPDIS
AIRED ON THE SAME DAY, AND A ONE-ON-ONE WITH ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-
GOVERNMENT ARABIC DAILY "AL ITTIHAD." AT BOTH EVENTS, AMBASSADOR
BURNS REITERATED U.S. COMMITMENT TO BRING ABOUT PEACE TO THE
MIDDLE EAST BASED ON THE ROADMAP AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISION FOR
ISRAEL AND PALESTINE TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH EACH OTHER.


6. MARCH 22: PA ARRANGED A VISIT FOR 21 JUNIOR UAE DIPLOMATS FROM
THE UAE INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY TO THE NEW U.S. EMBASSY IN ABU
DHABI. THIS WAS THEIR FIRST VISIT TO ANY FOREIGN MISSION. THE
DIPLOMATS (THE GROUP INCLUDED 7 WOMEN) MET WITH AMBASSADOR
MARCELLE WAHBA, LISTENED TO PRESENTATIONS BY VARIOUS HEADS OF
SECTION AT THE EMBASSY, HAD LUNCH IN THE CAFETERIA AND TOURED THE
NEWLY DEDICATED EMBASSY COMPUND, ENDING WITH AN EXPLANATION OF
CONSULAR PROCEDURES. PA WORKED WITH THE MEDIA COORDINATOR AT THE
INSTITUTE AND SENT A PRESS RELEASE TO THE LOCAL MEDIA WHICH WAS
PUBLISHED IN ALL ARABIC DAILIES ON THE FOLLOWING DAY.


7. MARCH 23: PA ARRANGED A PRESS ROUNDTABLE AND A ONE-ON-ONE
WITH ABU DHABI TELEVISION WITH AMBASSADOR RONALD NEUMANN, THE
DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT THE CPA IN IRAQ. COVERAGE OF
NEUMANN'S REMARKS WAS CARRIED IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES
AND THE REGIONAL NESPAPER "AL-HAYAT". ABU DHABI TELEVISION
CARRIED LENGTHY EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW ON THE MAIN NEWSCAST
AND ON THEIR EVENING NEWS PROGRAM.


8. MARCH 24: PA PLACED OP-ED BY A/S MARC GROSSMAN IN THE ARABIC
DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD".


9. MARCH 24 AND MARCH 27: PA SENT OFFICIAL STATEMENT ANNOUNCING
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF ACTIVITIES OF THE EMBASSY DUE TO A
SECURITY THREAT. STATEMENT RE-OPENING THE EMBASSY CARRIED IN
MARCH 27 PAPERS. ALL LOCAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
CARRIED ARTICLES AND HIGHLIGHTED EMBASSY THANKS TO UAE GOVERNMENT
FOR SWIFT REACTION AND EXCELLENT COOPERATION.


10. MARCH 27: PAO AND PA STAFF ACCOMPANIED AMBASSADOR WAHBA TO
THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE AMERICAN STUDIES CORNER AT THE UAE
UNIVERSITY. PA PREPARED FACT SHEETS, BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND
THE AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS BOTH IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH AND
DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA. COVERAGE IN THE FOLLOWING
DAY WAS UNPRECEDENTED. ALL ARABIC AND TWO ENGLISH DAILIES
CARRIED PROMINENT PHOTOS AND STORIES ON THE OPENING.


11. MARCH 27: PA ARRANGED A PRESS ROUNDTABLE WITH REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND A ONE-ON-ONE WITH ABU DHABI
TELEVISION FOR AMBASSADOR DAVID MACK, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE.

12. MARCH 27: PA TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE VISIT OF JEAN ABI NADER,
THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE ARAB-AMERICAN INSTITUTE TO THE UAE.
POST ARRANGED A PRESENTATION AT THE DUBAI PRESS CLUB FOR MEMBERS
OF THE UAE MEDIA, DURING WHICH HE EXPLAINED THE GROWING ROLE OF
ARAB AMERICANS IN AMERICAN POLITICS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE
UPCOMING PRESENTIAL ELECTIONS. A TELEVISION INTERVIEW WITH THE
NEWS SATELLITE CHANNEL AL-ARABIYAH WAS ALSO ARRANGED.

WAHBA