MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ/WEST BANK/TERRORIST ATTACKS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001882

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 - PASS TO MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ/WEST BANK/TERRORIST ATTACKS



1. SUMMARY: THE NEWLY APPOINTED IRAQI GOVERNMENT, THE SITUATION
IN THE WEST BANK AND THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS IN AL KHOBAR IN
SAUDI ARABIA DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC
MEDIA. UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED CRITICIZED THE LACK OF
MEDIA COVERAGE ON THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN AL KHOBAR. ANOTHER
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" NOTED THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST
BUSH IN EUROPE SHOULD BE A REMINDER FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
REGARDING ITS UNPOPULAR UNILATERAL FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES.
END SUMMARY.


2. UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED WROTE AN ARTICLE IN ABU DHABI-
BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED "AL ITTIHAD" ON 06/07 UNDER THE
HEADLINE "WHAT DO TERRORISTS WANT?" HE MENTIONED ONE OF THE
SURVIVORS' STORIES THAT INDICATES THAT THE TERRORISTS KILLED
CHRISTIANS BUT NOT MUSLIMS IN THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN AL KHUBAR:

". WE ARABS AND MUSLIMS DID NOT CONCENTRATE ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS
A MORAL SCANDAL AND A CRIME THAT IS FORBIDDEN BY ALL RELIGIONS.
SINCE HUMANITY STARTED, NO RELIGION APPROVED KILLING PEOPLE OF
OTHER RELIGIONS. IT IS VERY UNWISE OF OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES,
ESPECIALLY GULF COUNTRIES, TO THINK THAT THEY ARE SECURE FROM ANY
TERRORIST ATTACKS, AND IT IS ALSO UNWISE TO THINK THAT THEY CAN
GET RID OF TERRORISM THROUGH MILITARY OPERATIONS, ALTHOUGH THEY
ARE IMPORTANT AT THIS TIME. THE QUESTION IS: WHAT DO THE
TERRORISTS WANT? DO THEY REALLY WANT TO REFORM A BAD COMMUNITY AS
THEY ALLEGE? IF SO, AND IF WE BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, THEN
WHY ARE THEY KILLING PEOPLE FROM OTHER RELIGIONS AND PARTIES?
AND WHO SAID THAT THE ISLAMIC RELIGION APPROVES KILLING INNOCENT
PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT RELIGION OR THEY ARE
PART OF A DIFFERENT PARTY?. WHICH PROGRAM OR POLITICAL THINKING
APPROVES OF KILLING THE INNOCENT AND DESTROYING ECONOMIC AND
CIVIL PROPERTY AS WAS DONE IN AL KHOBAR IN SAUDI ARABIA?. WHAT
THIS SURVIVOR REVEALED INDICATES THAT THESE GROUPS ARE NOT ONLY
TERRORISTS BUT THEY ARE ALSO RACISTS, AND THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF
THE CRIMINAL THOUGHTS THAT `AL KAEDA' TAUGHT AND SPREAD AMONG
YOUNG MUSLIMS."


3. COMMENTING ON THE ARAB SILENCE TOWARD WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE
ARAB WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN ABU GHRAIB PRISON AND THE ISRAELI
PRISONS, SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED
06/09:(CIRCULATION 95,000)

". THE OCCUPATION ACTIONS IN BOTH IRAQ AND ISRAEL ARE THE SAME,
AS IF THE STRATEGICAL COOPERATION THAT CONNECTS THE U.S. WITH THE
ZIONIST ENTITY IS A UNIFIED AND ORGANIZED COOPERATION OF TORTURE.
ISN'T IT TIME FOR ARABS TO BREAK THE SILENCE WITH ACTIONS TOWARDS
ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEM IF THEY
REMAIN AS THEY ARE?"


4. NOTING THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT BUSH IN ROME
SHOULD BE A WARNING BELL, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 06/05:(CIRCULATION 30,000)

". WASHINGTON SHOULD STOP SUPPORTING THE TERRORIST SHARON. THIS
IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR THE U.S. TO WIN THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE OF THE
WORLD BY ABIDING TO INTERNATIONAL LAWS, AND SHOULD BECOME MORE
RESPECTFUL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD'S DESIRES."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE "NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS.,"
DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 06/05:

"THE G8 SHOULD STICK TO DISCUSSING THE WORLD'S ECONOMY. THEY ARE
NOT A POLITICAL ASSEMBLY, BUT THE U.S. IS SO DESPERATE TO AVOID
PUTTING ANYTHING THROUGH THE UN THAT IT HAS TAKEN ITS PLAN FOR
REFORM IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO THE G8. MOST MIDDLE EASTERNERS AGREE
THAT THE WAY FORWARD HAS TO INCLUDE MORE INVOLVEMENT OF THE
PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT, THE TRANSPARENT ROLE OF LAW, AND FREE
MARKET POLICIES. BUT NO ONE AGREES THAT BUSH IS THE MAN TO TELL
THEM HOW TO FIND THE WAY FORWARD."

WAHBA