MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002257

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



1. SUMMARY: SADDAM'S TRIAL AND THE INCREASING VIOLENCE IN IRAQ
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN
EDITORIAL IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" NOTED
THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF THE ARAB COUNTRIES
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STOP THE VIOLENCE IN IRAQ.
ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" COMMENTED ON THE NEWLY REVEALED
ISRAELI EXISTENCE IN IRAQ. END SUMMARY.


2. NOTING THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT NEEDS ALL THE HELP IT CAN
GET, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 07/6:(CIRCULATION 100,000)

". THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT FIRST NEEDS ARAB SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FROM
THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, TO EXTRACT THE ROOTS OF TERRORISM AND
BRUTALITY AND TO CHANGE THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO THINK THAT IRAQ
WILL ALWAYS BE A PLACE FOR CORRUPT INDIVIDUALS. IRAQ ALSO NEEDS
THE SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH THEIR PROJECTS. THE HOPELESS TRIALS TO RELIVE THE PAST
WILL NOT SUCCEED, BECAUSE TIME DOES NOT GO BACK. IRAQ IS BEING
REBORN AND SUPPORT AND HELP IS REQUIRED FOR THIS COUNTRY."


3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "ISRAEL IN IRAQ," SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 07/5:(CIRCULATION 95,000)

". THE ISRAELI EXISTENCE IN IRAQ CAN'T BE HIDDEN OR DENIED. IT IS
NOT STRANGE THAT THERE MIGHT BE AMERICAN-ISRAELI COORDINATION TO
PENETRATE IRAQ AND TRANSFORM IT INTO CHAOS, WHICH ISRAELI AGENTS
WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN ORDER TO THREATEN IRAQ'S UNITY, IN
ADDITION TO SYRIA AND IRAN. IF GETTING RID OF THE AMERICAN
OCCUPATION IS IN IRAQ'S NATIONAL INTEREST AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE
TAKEN CARE OF BY THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, THEN THIS SHOULD NOT
PREVENT THEM FROM DEALING WITH THE ZIONISTS SNEAKING INTO IRAQ.
IRAQ WITH ITS PEOPLE, HISTORY, KNOWLEDGE, AND THEIR PATRIOTISM
WILL NOT ACCEPT BEING USED BY ENEMIES OF THE IRAQI NATION USING A
`TROJAN HORSE.'"


4. COMMENTING ON THE INCREASING VIOLENCE IN IRAQ AND NOTING THAT
AS LONG AS THE AMERICAN TROOPS ARE IN IRAQ THE VIOLENCE WILL
CONTINUE, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED
07/4:(CIRCULATION 30,000)

". THERE IS INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT THAT AS LONG AS THE
SOVEREIGNTY IN IRAQ IS NOT COMPLETE AND AS ALONG AS THE ANGLO-
AMERICAN TROOPS STILL EXIST IN ALL CITIES THEN THE SERIES OF
BLOODSHED WILL BECOME PART OF THE DAILY ROUTINE. THE AMERICAN
TROOPS' EXISTENCE IN IRAQ PROMOTES INSTABILITY."

ALBRIGHT