MEDIA REACTION: IRAN'S RELATION WITH IAEA AND UN

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003123 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: IRAN'S RELATION WITH IAEA AND UN ¶1. Summary: An editorial in English daily "Gulf News" calls on Iran to put its nuclear program under IAEA supervision and urges the US to follow an agreed international route for a solution. Arabic daily "Al-Ittihad" strongly attacks the international community's silence vis a vis Israeli atrocities in Palestine compared to its resolve in other parts of the world, describing this as a double standard. ¶2. Under the headline, "Be cautious on nuclear reaction--Iran and US should not unilaterally pursue their own agenda", "Gulf News" (leading English daily in UAE, Dubai-based, privately owned, circ 90,000) editorialized: "Iran is yet again in the international frame for its nuclear program. This time the US has threatened both sanctions and further possible action including intervention. This escalation of American threats ahead of the agreed multinational action cannot be solely due to the reality in Iran and has to have something to do with the elections going on in the US. It is necessary to repeat a simple message: Iran has every right to develop a non- military, peaceful nuclear program, but it continues to do so and is becoming a serious issue for Iran and the Middle East. In addition, as Iran moves ahead with its program, it is very important that Iranian nuclear sites are open to international inspection, as all nuclear sites in the world would be. The IAEA has a vital role in monitoring the world's nuclear resources.Iran categorically denies US claims that it is developing nuclear weapons. But the news yesterday was that Washington did not seem to wait for the process to happen, and was ready to move to take unilateral action. There are two issues here: the US has to follow the agreed international route to a solution, and Iran has to have a transparent peaceful nuclear program." ¶3. The UAE's Arabic dailies carried straightforward reports regarding U/S Bolton's remarks in Israel on Iran's nuclear program. There were no comments or editorial on this subject. ¶4. Under the headline "International Justice" an unsigned editorial in "Al-Ittihad" (Arabic daily, Abu Dhabi-based, semi- official, circ 65,000) reads: "The UN speeds up efforts in certain areas and gets remarkably active with a loud voice, especially at the Security Council. It holds sessions and unanimously takes resolutions giving the relevant nations certain time frames for implementation for adaptation while the major powers pressure to ensure interpretation. However, these acts disappear and no sound is heard and completely becomes absent when it comes to crimes committed against unarmed civilians.. It is nice to watch UN organizations backed by the superpowers defend helpless refugees in Darfur by armed gangs and urge the Sudanese government to cooperate to disarm these gangs to ensure stability. However, it is a disgrace for the UN to turn its face from what happens in Palestine committed by the right wing Zionists under Sharon.Double standards and looking with one eye at issues of the world, while turning the other eye off the same issues when they occur on another front, is unacceptable and contradicts international law and justice. The continuation of this increases hatred and frustration, pushing many people to commit group suicide. It is a disgrace for the UN and the world community to remain silent, onlooking these crimes that will eventually wreck the foundations of international peace and security." SISON