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