Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI1608
2004-05-19 13:49:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: THE SHADOW OF ABU GHRAIN ABUSES ON

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 03/15/2007 12:58:14 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM May 19, 2004


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1608 - UNKNOWN) 

TAGS: OIIP, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: THE SHADOW OF ABU GHRAIN ABUSES
 ON "AL-KHALLEJ" SEMINAR: "ARAB PRESS IN A CHANGING 
 WORLD" 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01608

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: PAO 
 INFO: POL AMB DCM ECON 
Laser1:
 ACTION: PAO 

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:HOLSIN-WINDECKER
DRAFTED: PAO:AHOSHAN
CLEARED: NONE

VZCZCADI152
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1608/01 1401349
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191349Z MAY 04
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4409
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0802
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0838
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001608 

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 ZEYA
LONDON - PLEASE PASS TO MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: THE SHADOW OF ABU GHRAIN ABUSES ON
"AL-KHALLEJ" SEMINAR: "ARAB PRESS IN A CHANGING WORLD"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001608

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 ZEYA
LONDON - PLEASE PASS TO MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: THE SHADOW OF ABU GHRAIN ABUSES ON
"AL-KHALLEJ" SEMINAR: "ARAB PRESS IN A CHANGING WORLD"


1. SUMMARY: UAE'S LARGEST CIRCULATION, PAN-ARAB AND SHARJAH-BASED
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" SPONSORED A TWO-DAY SEMINAR ENTITLED "ARAB
PRESS IN A CHANGING WORLD". THE SEMINAR, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY
PROMINENT ARAB AND UAE MEDIA PERSONALITIES, AGREED THAT THE ARAB
MEDIA IN GENERAL AND THE PRESS IN PARTICULAR IS FACING SERIOUS
CHALLENGES, NAMELY THE ARAB LEADERS AND THE CENSORSHIP
DEPARTMENTS IN EVERY ARAB COUNTRY. SPEAKERS ALSO AGREED THAT
ALTHOUGH ARAB CONSTITUTIONS MAINTAIN "THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH",
YET, THEY ALL HAVE A CLAUSE THAT "THE RULER HAS THE RIGHT TO
CHANGE THIS IF THERE IS A NEED". INTERCULOTORS AND SPEAKERS ALSO
NOTED THAT IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN ABU GHARIB, THE U.S. WILL
NOT ELIGIBLE TO SPEARHEAD EFFORTS FOR REFORM AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
END SUMMARY.


2. UAE'S LARGEST CIRCULATION PAN ARAB AND SHARJAH-BASED DAILY "AL-
ITTIHAD" ORGANIZED A TWO-DAY SEMINAR ENTITLED "ARAB PRESS IN A
CHANGING WORLD" MAY 11-12. THE SEMINAR, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY
PROMINENT ARAB MEDIA PERSONALITIES, SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE
OBSTACLES THAT ARE COUNTERING ARAB PRESS. THE MINISTERS OF
HIGHER EDUCATION AND INFORMATION, AND THE FORMER MINISTER OF
INFORMATION ALSO ATTENDED. DURING THE Q&A SESSION, A CONSENSUS
EMERGED THAT THE ABUSES IN ABU GHARIB REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT
BLACK MARK ON THE U.S. THE IMAGES OF U.S. SOLDIERS HUMILIATING
IRAQI PRISONERS NEGATE ANY LEADING ROLE OF THE U.S. IN AREAS SUCH
AS HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY. A UAE FORMER AMBASSADOR, AND
CURRENTLY AN ADVISOR AT THE EMIRI COURT IN DUBAI, TOLD THE
INFORMATION SPECIALIST THAT "THE PICTURES ARE REALLY TRAGIC
SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY KILLED IN THE MINDS OF ARAB INTELLECTUALS ANY
HOPE FOR HUMAN RIGHT RESPECT. THE GOVERNMENTS HERE WILL
EVENTUALLY USE THEM AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE. THEY COME AS
INDIRECT RESPONSES TO FREQUENT ARAB CALLS FOR MORE ROOM FOR
DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS."



3. TALAL SALMAN, CHIEF EDITOR OF THE LEBANESE DAILY AL-SAFIR,
DISCUSSED THE LEBANESE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT AND HOW THE CIVIL WAR
AND FOREIGN INTERVENTIONS CAUSED THE DECLINE OF THE LEBANESE
PRES. HE NOTED THAT THERE IS NO PRESS WITHOUT POLITICS BUT THE

ARAB PRESS IS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON THE PUBLICITY OF THE RULERS AND
NOT TO PROVIDE NEWS SERVICE TO THEIR READERS, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY
SOME ARAB DAILIES BUY NEWS SERVICES ABOUT ARAB EVENTS PROVIDED BY
FOREIGN NEWSPAPERS. POLITICS IN ARAB COUNTRIES ARE SECRETS THAT
ARE KNOWN ONLY BY THE RULERS, AND MANY RICH NEWSPAPERS PROVIDE
INTERVIEW WITH FOREIGN FIGURES, MOSTLY AMERICANS, MORE THAN THEIR
OWN LEADERS. AS FOR THE FINANCING, GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPERS OFTEN
DO NOT SUFFER ANY BUDGET RESTRAINTS, BUT THESE NEWSPAPERS DO NOT
PRACTICE JOURNALISM WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THE PRESS OF THE FIFTIES
WAS MORE INTERESTING THAN THOSE OF THE EIGHTIES AND THE NINETIES.



4. SALMAN CONCLUDED THAT "THERE IS NO DEMOCRACY WITH THE PRESENCE
OF SECTARIANISM, RACISM, SALAFI RULE AND FOREIGN OCCUPATION,
NOTING THAT LEBANESE JOURNALISM IS A DIRECT VICTIM OF THE ABSENCE
OF DEMOCRACY IN THE ARAB WORLD. REGARDLESS OF ITS NEGATIVE AND
POSITIVE ASPECTS, THE LEBANESE PRESS HAS PLAYED A LEADING ROLE
AMONG THE ARABS DESPITE ALL OBSTACLES THAT OBSTRUCTED ITS
EXPANSION AND DISTRIBUTION. ITS OVERALL OBJECTIVE WAS POSITIVE
AND HAS CONTRIBUTED IN SPREADING AWARENESS, BOOSTED DEMOCRATIC
CULTURE AND REITERATED ARAB CITIZEN'S RIGHTS IN HIS OWN
ENVIRONMENT AND COMBATING FOREIGN OCCUPATION."


5. DURING ANOTHER SESSION, SALAHEDDIN HAFZE, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF
THE ARAB JOURNALISTS UNION AND EDITOR OF AL-AHRAM, DISCUSSED THE
ISSUE OF FREEDOM IN THE ARAB PRESS. HE FELT THAT ARAB PUBLIC IS
SHOCKED AT THE SLOWNESS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF REAL DEMOCRATIC
REFORM. THE ARAB REGIMES CONTINUE TO SWIM AGAINST THE GENERAL
CURRENT OF REFORM WITH ONLY FEW EXCEPTIONS THAT COME, MOST
LIKELY, IN RESPONSE TO FOREIGN PRESSURE. THE CURRENT OPPOSING
FREEDOM USED THE 9/11 EVENTS TO STRENGTHEN ITS IRON GRIP OVER THE
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS UNDER THE PRETEXT OF PREVENTING TERRORISTS.
THIS IS ALSO WHAT AMERICA DID FOLLOWING 9/11 TO MONITOR THE FLOW
OF INFORMATION, PHONES, ELECTRONIC MAIL AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS
THAT CONTRADICT WITH CIVIL FREEDOMS. THAT EVENTUALLY MADE A
MOCKERY OF AMERICAN CALLS FOR REFORM. ANOTHER POINT HE MADE IS
THAT THE ARAB PRESS MAKES A STEP FORWARD BUT IS FORCED TO MAKE
FEW STEPS BACKWARD DUE TO DOMESTIC RESTRICTIONS.


6. JAMIL MATTAR, A SPEAKER AT THE CONFERENCE, NOTED THAT "AMERICA
PUTS EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE ARAB COUNTRIES TO FACILITATE THE
FREEDOM OF PRESS AND DEMOCRACY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PRACTICES
DEMOCRACY IN ITS WORST SHAPE, WHICH EVENTUALLY WORKS IN FAVOR OF
THE ARAB GOVERNMENTS, NOT THE PEOPLE." HE ADDED THAT
"GLOBALIZATION DOES NOT REPRESENT A CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE ARAB
WORLD AS MANY TRY TO PROMOTE. IN FACT GLOBALIZATION IS A STAGE
IN WORLD DEVELOPMENT THAT IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS STAGES
THAT FOLLOWED WORLD WAR I." HE ADDED THAT THE INFORMATION
REVOLUTION AND MODERN COMMUNICATION ARE ONLY SAMPLE OUTCOMES OF
THE GLOBALIZATION THAT WOULD ENRICH ARAB PRESS." OTHER
PARTICIPANTS CALLED ON THE ARAB PRESS TO PLAY A HISTORICAL ROLE
TO EMERGE IN THIS CLOUDY AND GLOOMY ENVIRONMENT. A UAE PROFESSOR
NOTED THAT "FRANKLY THE ARAB PRESS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAULTY
SITUATION IN THE ARAB WORLD".

ALBRIGHT