SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: MUKTADA AL SADER

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002800 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: MUKTADA AL SADER ¶1. SUMMARY: ON 16 AUGUST UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED, WRITING IN ABU DHABI-BASED "AL ITTIHAD" (SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRC. 65,000) CRITICIZED MUKTADA AL SADER AND THE ARAB MEDIA SUPPORTIN HIM. ¶2. ". WHOSE BLOOD DOES MUKTADA REALLY WANT TO SACRIFICE? IS IT HIS BLOOD, OR IS IT THE POOR IRAQI'S BLOOD THAT HAS BEEN SHED BECAUSE OF HIS STUBBORNNESS, ARROGANCE, AND HIS POLITICAL IGNORANCE? DOES MUKTADA WANT TO OVERTHROW ALLAWI'S GOVERNMENT, OR DOES HE WANT TO GET THE COALITION FORCES OUT OF IRAQ, OR DOES HE WANT TO SEPARATE NORTH IRAQ FROM SOUTH IRAQ?. MUKTADA REQUESTED THAT HIS SPOKESPEOPLE ANNOUNCE THAT HE WILL FIGHT UNTIL HIS DEATH. SORRY TO SAY THAT A LOT OF ARAB MEDIA. INCLUDING SOME GULF NEWSPAPERS HAVE SUPPORTED THE RABBLE-ROUSER (MUKTADA). THEY ANNOUNCED THAT MUKTADA IS GOING TO FIGHT UNTIL HIS DEATH, BUT THEY DID NOT MENTION THAT MUKTADA WAS THE REASON BEHIND THE DEATH OF MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND INNOCENT IRAQIS IN THREE DAYS. THESE PAPERS DID NOT MENTION THAT MUKTADA IS A YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED MAN, ESPECIALLY IN POLITICS. THE YOUNG MUKTADA IS TOUCHING A VERY SENSITIVE SPOT, AND IS PLAYING ON DANGEROUS GROUNDS FOR A POSSIBLE RELIGIOUS WAR, BUT THE AWARENESS OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE NEW GOVERNMENT IN ADDITION TO THE AWARENESS OF THE RATIONAL SHI'A IS A LOT BIGGER THAN MUKTADA'S AIM THAT IS FILLED WITH EVILNESS, AND HIS ATTEMPTS DID FAIL AND HE FOUND HIMSELF ALONE FACING THE FIRE THAT HE TRIED TO SET ON IN THE IRAQI BODY." SISON