MEDIA REACTION: WEST BANK/IRAQ

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003519

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; ALSO FOR MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WEST BANK/IRAQ


1. SUMMARY: THE MASSACRES IN GAZA AND THE CONTINUING SECURITY
SITUATION IN IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC AND
PRINT MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT THE
PALESTINIANS HAVE NO SUPPORT EVEN FROM THE ARABS. DR. SHAMLAN EL
EISSA WROTE AN ARTICLE IN "AL ITTIHAD" CRITICIZING HAMAS' FLASHY
ANNOUNCEMENT AND STATEMENTS AND NOTING THAT THEY SHOULD START
THINKING OF A BETTER STRATEGY FOR RESISTANCE. ANOTHER ARTICLE IN
"AL ITTIHAD" WRITTEN BY MOHAMMED AL HAMMADI NOTED THAT ARABS
SHOULD THINK OF BEING PART OF THIS WORLD BY LOOKING AT THE WHOLE
TRUTH NOT ONLY HALF OF IT. END SUMMARY.


2. UAE COLUMNIST MOHAMMED AL HAMMADI WROTE AN ARTICLE NOTING
THAT IF WE WANT TO BE PART OF THIS WORLD WE SHOULD START LOOKING
AT THE TRUTH AROUND US, NOT HALF OF THE TRUTH IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON
10/6: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION
85,000)

".WE NEED TO RAISE A NEW GENERATION THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY
INTELLECTUAL BALANCE, NOT AN EXTREME GENERATION OR A WEAK
GENERATION, AND BALANCE IN RAISING A GENERATION COMES BY MAKING
THE GENERATION PART OF THE WORLD. WE NEED TO REBUILD PEOPLE'S
INTELLECT WITH A VISION THAT RELATES TO THE NEW ERA'S CHANGES AND
LANGUAGE. WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONVINCED ABOUT IS THAT THERE IS NO
PLACE IN THIS WORLD FOR THE READY- MADE THOUGHTS THAT WERE
DEVELOPED THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, AND DOMINATED
PEOPLE'S MINDS AND LIVES. WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT WE
SHOULD NOT LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND US WITH ONE EYE THAT ONLY
SEES HALF OF THE TRUTH, WHICH LEADS US TO DOING HALF WHAT IS
RIGHT."


3. COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN YOUSEF AL EISSA WROTE AN ARTICLE
CRITICIZING HAMAS' CONTINUOUS FLASHY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND STATEMENTS
CONDEMNING SHARON'S MASSACRES AND STATING THAT THEY WILL TAKE
REVENGE IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 10/5: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED,
SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000)

". WE WROTE AND OTHERS WROTE THAT FEDAYEE ACTS DO NOT REQUIRE
FLASHY MEDIA AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. FREEDOM MOVEMENTS IN THE WORLD
DO NOT ANNOUNCE THE NAMES OF THEIR LEADERS. WHY DOES HAMAS DO
THAT?. HOW DID THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE BENEFIT FROM THE FLASHY
MEDIA AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THEIR OPERATIONS?. WHY DON'T WE
BENEFIT FROM THE ZIONISTS IN HOW WE DEAL WITH THE WESTERN MEDIA?
ISRAELIS KILL, DISPLACE, DEMOLISH, AND CONFISCATE THE RIGHTS OF
HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS, SAYING THAT THESE ARE
DEFENSIVE ACTIONS. TODAY IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT RESISTANCE IS
NOT EFFECTIVE, RESISTANCE SHOULD EITHER RESIDE IN SECRETIVE
ACTIONS WITHOUT ANY FLASHINESS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR RESIDE IN
PEACEFUL MEANS. HOW COULD WE FREE A LAND THAT IS SURROUNDED BY
WALLS AND THE LARGEST MILITARY HARDWARE IN THE REGION SUPPORTED
BY THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD? WHEN WILL WE START
THINKING OF A NEW STRATEGY FOR RESISTANCE?"


4. NOTING THAT THE PALESTINIANS ARE STANDING ON THEIR OWN
WITHOUT ANY ARAB SUPPORT, "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 10/4:
(ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, CIRCULATION 85,000)

". THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE ALL ALONE IN THEIR LAST DEFENSE
LINE IN FACING THE LIKUD ISRAELI - AMERICAN PLAN AIMED AT
OVERTHROWING THE REGION AND MAKING ITS PEOPLE KNEEL, IN ADDITION
TO STEALING ALL ITS NATIONAL WEALTH IN THE WORST ATTACKS THE ARAB
NATION HAS FACED. ALL THIS IS HAPPENING WHILE THE ARAB COUNTRIES
ARE MEETING TO WORK OUT A POLITICAL STRATEGY TO STOP THE
CONTINUOUS ISRAELI ATTACKS AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE "SHARON'S TERRORISM," "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED 10/3:

". THE WORLD'S SILENCE TOWARDS THE MASSACRES COMMITTED BY THE
CRIMINAL OF WAR SHARON AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS NOT TO
ITS BENEFIT. THE WORLD'S SILENCE TOWARDS THE RANDOM KILLINGS, THE
BLOODSHED OF INNOCENT CHILDREN, AND THE MASSACRES AGAINST
CIVILIANS PROVOKES THE EMOTIONS OF THE ENTIRE MUSLIM WORLD. THE
QUESTION NOW IS: WHY IS THE WORLD SILENT AND WHY ARE THEY LEAVING
SHARON TO ACT LIKE AN AROUSED BULL IN A PORCELAIN SHOP? WHY
HASN'T THE WORLD UNDERSTOOD THAT VIOLENCE LEADS TO MORE VIOLENCE,
AND THAT OCCUPATION IS THE REASON BEHIND RESISTANCE, AND WITH ITS
REMOVAL THE REASONS OF TENSION ARE REMOVED? WHO WILL BE
COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO SAY THE TRUTH AND HOLD THE THREAD THAT WILL
EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE SOUGHT AFTER PEACE?"
SISON