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