MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI DEBTS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000266

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 FOR MOC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI DEBTS



1. SUMMARY: THE UAE'S DECISION TO WAIVE MOST OF IRAQ'S DEBTS
RECEIVED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN BOTH ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA.
AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL NOTED THAT THIS DECISION COULD BE
EXPECTED FROM A GOVERNMENT SUCH AS THE UAE'S, WITH ITS "NATIONAL
AND HUMANE FEELINGS OF DUTY" TOWARDS THE IRAQI PEOPLE. ANOTHER
EDITORIAL IN "GULF NEWS" PRAISED THE DECISION AND CONSIDERED IT
TO BE A MODEL FOR OTHER GULF COUNTRIES' DECISION TO DO THE SAME.
END SUMMARY.


2. NOTING THAT THE UAE'S DECISION TO CANCEL MOST OF THE IRAQI
DEBT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS EXPECTED, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-
GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 01/22:

". THE UAE'S INITIATIVE TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF THE IRAQI DEBT IS
NOT ONLY PART OF ITS DEEP BELIEF IN ITS NATIONAL AND HUMANE DUTY
TOWARDS THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ, BUT ALSO A MODEL AND MOTIVE FOR ALL
ARAB AND MUSLIM COUNTRIES AND OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD TO
HELP IRAQ RECOVER FROM ALL THE CRISIS THAT ITS PEOPLE WENT
THROUGH DURING THE PREVIOUS YEARS."


3. PRAISING THE UAE'S DECISION TO WAIVE MOST OF THE IRAQI DEBT,
EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS EDITORIALIZED 1/26:

". THIS INVOLVES NOT ONLY GIVING IRAQI CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
START WITH A 'CLEAN SLATE' BUT ALSO ACCEPTING THAT, AS A FELLOW
ARAB NATION, ARABS SHOULD DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO RENDER
ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED. AND IRAQ IS A COUNTRY DESPERATELY
IN NEED OF MUCH HELP. IT IS HOPED THE GULF NATIONS SEE THE
ADVANTAGE OF WAIVING THE DEBT OWED TO THEM BY IRAQ, NOT ONLY AS A
SHORT-TERM GAIN IN ASSISTING IN IRAQ'S RESTRUCTURING PROCESS, BUT
A LONG TERM GAIN AS IRAQ IS ACCEPTED MORE CLOSELY INTO THE
BROTHERHOOD OF ARAB NATIONS."

WAHBA