SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: NOVEMBER 3-8: REPORTING OF U.S.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004024

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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 ALSO FOR MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: NOVEMBER 3-8: REPORTING OF U.S.
OFFICIAL REACTION TO DEATH OF UAE PRESIDENT SHEIKH ZAYED



1. SUMMARY: THE REACTION TO THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED,
PRESIDENT OF THE UAE, AND SUBSEQUENT CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE
COVERED EXTENSIVELY BY ALL LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. LOCAL TELEVISION AND SOME REGIONAL
ELECTRONIC MEDIA STOPPED THEIR NORMAL BROADCAST FOR FOUR DAYS.
ALL RADIO CHANNELS BROADCAST PRAYERS, WHICH BY NOW HAS GIVEN WAY
TO CLASSICAL OR LIGHT JAZZ INSTEAD OF POPULAR MUSIC. RADIO SAWA
ALSO CHANGED ITS PROGRAMMING AND ANNOUNCED ITS CONDOLENCES TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE UAE EVERY HALF HOUR. VISITS OF LEADERS AND
OFFICIALS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WHO ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OR PAID
CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE REPORTED ON ALL LOCAL SATELLITE CHANNELS
AND SOME REGIONAL CHANNELS. VISITS OF U.S. OFFICIALS AND PUBLIC
ANNOUNCEMENTS OF CONDOLENCE FROM THE EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI WERE
ALSO REPORTED ELECTRONICALLY AND IN PRINT WITH PICTURES.
PRESIDENT BUSH'S PHONE CALL TO SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AND THE
WHITE HOUSE'S OFFICIAL CONDOLENCE STATEMENT WERE REPORTED WITH
EXCERPTS FROM BOTH THE PHONE CALL AND THE STATEMENT. SECRETARY
OF STATE POWELL'S CONDOLENCE CALL TO THE UAE EMBASSY IN
WASHINGTON WAS REPORTED. END SUMMARY.


2. THE EMBASSY RELEASED TWO MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCE AND MADE
AVAILABLE THE TEXT OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND WHITE HOUSE
ANNOUNCEMENTS. THESE AND ALL NOTICES OF CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE
CARRIED IN EACH OF THE ARABIC (AL BAYAN-CIRCULATION 40,000, AL
KHALEEJ-CIRCULATION 85,000, AL ITTIHAD-65,000, AKHBAR AL ARAB-
20,000) AND ENGLISH (GULF NEWS-95,000, KHALEEJ TIMES-70,000, GULF
TODAY-15,000) DAILIES. SOME WERE ALSO REPORTED BY THE REGIONAL
DAILIES (AL SHARQ AL AWSAT-2,000, AL HAYAT-1,000). REPORTS
APPEARED ON ABU DHBAI TV AND DUBAI TV AND WERE REPEATED SEVERAL
TIMES EACH DAY. IN ADDITION, AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA COVERED
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO UAE LEADERS.


3. THE EMBASSY'S STATEMENT OF CONDOLENCE WAS ISSUED THE NIGHT OF
THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED AND APPEARED THE NEXT DAY 11/03 ON THE
SECOND PAGE IN AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) AND IN THE GULF
NEWS (CIRC.65,000). THE U.S. EMBASSY WAS THE ONLY FOREIGN
EMBASSY WHICH MANAGED TO PLACE ITS CONDOLENCE MESSAGE ON THE
FIRST DAY AFTER SHEIKH ZAYED'S DEATH. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS ALSO
REPORTED ON THE MORNING OF 11/03 ON ABU DHABI TV AND DUBAI TV AS
REACTION TO SHEIKH ZAYED'S DEATH.


4. THE EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI ISSUED ANOTHER PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
ON 11/04 REGARDING THE DATES OF THE CLOSURE OF THE EMBASSY FOR
THE MOURNING PERIOD AND THE EID AL FITR HOLIDAYS. THE
ANNOUNCEMENT APPEARED THE NEXT DAY 11/05 IN THE TWO ARABIC
DAILIES, AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000),AND AL BAYAN
(CIRCULATION 40,000),AND IN THE ENGLISH DAILY KHALEEJ TIMES
(CIRCULATION 70,000).


5. PRESIDENT BUSH'S CONDOLENCE PHONE CALL TO SHEIKH KHLAIFA BIN
ZAYED WAS REPORTED IN FRONT PAGE IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH
DAILIES AND REGIONAL DAILIES WITH EXCERPTS OF THE PHONE CALL ON
11/05. THE PHONE CALL WAS ALSO REPORTED ON ABU DHABI TV AND
DUBAI TV AND REGIONALLY ON AL ARABIYA AND AL JAZEERA. THE REPORT
WAS A WAM STORY AND WAS CARRIED IN ALL NEWSPAPERS. AL BAYAN
(CIRCULATION 40,000) HEADLINED "BUSH CALLS THE PRESIDENT TO OFFER
CONDOLENCES AND CHIRAC ARRIVES TODAY" ON 11/05. KHALEEJ TIMES
(CIRCULATION 70,000) HEADLINED "BUSH PHONES KHALIFA, OFFERS
CONDOLENCES." AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) HEADLINED "KHALIFA
RECEIVES THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S CONDOLENCES" AND SUBTITLED "HE
CONGRATULATED BUSH FOR BEING RE-ELECTED."


6. AMBASSADOR MICHELE SISON'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO THE MINISTRY
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND HER SIGNING OF THE CONDOLENCE BOOK WAS
REPORTED IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON 11/05. THERE WERE
PICTURES OF THE AMBASSADOR SIGNING THE BOOK IN ENGLISH DAILY
KHALEEJ TIMES (CIRCULATION 70,000) AND IN ARABIC DAILIES AL
ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) AND AL BAYAN (CIRCULATION 40,000).
KHALEEJ TIMES HEADLINED THE PICTURES OF ALL THE AMBASSADORS
SIGNING THE BOOK AT MFA "DIPLOMATS PEN THEIR THOUGHTS." AL BAYAN
NOTED "AMBASSADORS OF ARAB AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES GIVING THEIR
CONDOLENCES" AND THE PICTURE WITH AMBASSADOR SISON WAS ENTITLED
"ONE OF THE AMBASSADORS WRITING IN HER CONDOLENCES."


7. U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE AND
ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY WILLIAM BURNS'S CONDOLENCE VISIT WAS
REPORTED EXTENSIVELY ON FRONT PAGE OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARABIC
AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON 11/05. SEVERAL PICTURES OF DEPUTY
SECRETARY ARMITAGE AND AMBASSADOR SISON WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN

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ZAYED, SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED, AND SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED
WERE PRINTED. KHALEEJ TIMES (CIRCULATION 70,000) CARRIED A FRONT-
PAGE PICTURE WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA AND ANOTHER PICTURE WITH SHEIKH
MOHAMED BIN ZAYED ON THE THIRD PAGE. ARABIC DAILIES AL
KHALEEJ(CIRCULATION 85,000) AND AL ITTIHAD (65,000) AND AKHBAR AL
ARAB (CIRCULATION 20,000) CARRIED SEVERAL PICTURES OF DEPUTY
SECRETARY ARMITAGE AND AMBASSADOR SISON WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA,

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SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED AND SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED IN INSIDE
PAGES OF PICTURES OF OTHER LEADERS AND OFFICIALS GIVING THEIR
CONDOLENCES. ABU DHABI TV, DUBAI TV, AL ARABIYA AND AL JAZEERA
REPORTED THE VISIT ON 11/05. ABU DHABI TV AND DUBAI TV REPEATED
THE REPORT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THE NEXT MORNING.


8. GULF NEWS (CIRCULATION 95,000) CARRIED EXCERPTS FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA'S REACTION TO THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED ON
11/05 WITH QUOTES FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES AND CNN.


9. THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL CONDOLENCE STATEMENT OF 11/04 WAS
CARRIED IN ITS ENTIRETY IN ALL LOCAL ENGLISH AND ARABIC DAILIES
ON 11/06. ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS (CIRCULATION 95,000) AND ARABIC
DAILY AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) CARRIED THE WHOLE STATEMENT
IN THE FRONT PAGE, " IN WASHINGTON, THE WHITE HOUSE ON THURSDAY
RELEASED A STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH OFFERING
CONDOLENCES TO THE UAE PEOPLE AND LEADERSHIP." THE REST OF THE
ENGLISH AND ARABIC DAILIES HAD THE STORY ON THE FRONT PAGE BUT
THE STATEMENT AS A WHOLE IN INSIDE PAGES. THE STATEMENT WAS
REPORTED BY ABU DHABI TV AND DUBAI TV AND THE STATEMENT READ BY
THE ANNOUNCER.


10. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO THE
UAE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON WAS REPORTED IN ALL LOCAL ENGLISH AND
ARABIC DAILIES ON 11/06. ARABIC DAILIES AL KHALEEJ (CIRCULATION
85,000),AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) AND AKHBAR AL ARAB
(CIRCULATION 20,000) REPORTED THE WAM STORY WITH A PICTURE OF
SECRETARY POWELL AND UAE AMBASSADOR AL DHAHERI " COLIN POWELL,

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SECRETARY OF STATE EXTENDED HIS CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF

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SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN TO SAEED AHMED AL DHAHERI, UAE
AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON. POWELL EXPRESSED HIS CONDOLENCE AND
SORROW OVER THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED." ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS
(CIRCULATION 95,000) REPORTED THE STORY ON FRONT PAGE.


11. SECRETARY JAMES ROCHE AND GENERAL JOHN JUMPER'S CONDOLENCE
CALLS WERE REPORTED IN FRONT PAGE IN ALL LOCAL ARABIC AND ENGLISH
DAILIES ON 11/8 AS A WAM STORY "SHEIKH KHALIFA RECEIVED SECRETARY
OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE JAMES ROCHE, ACCOMPANIED BY U.S. AIR FORCE
CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL JOHN JUMPER AND A NUMBER OF SENIOR U.S.
OFFICERS. THE U.S. TOP COMMANDERS EXPRESSED THEIR DEEP GRIEF AND
SADNESS OVER THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED." PICTURES OF SECRETARY
ROCHE WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AND SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED
WERE CARRIED FRONT PAGE IN ENGLISH DAILIES GULF TODAY
(CIRCULATION 15,000) AND KHALEEJ TIMES (CIRCULATION 70,000).
ARABIC DAILIES CARRIED THE PICTURES IN INSIDE PAGES WITH OTHER
PICTURES OF LEADERS AND OFFICIALS GIVING CONDOLENCES.


12. AMBASSADOR MICHELE SISON'S CONDOLENCE VISIT ON 11/06 WAS
REPORTED IN ARABIC DAILY AL KHALEEJ (CIRCULATION 85,000) WITH A
PICTURE. THE PICTURE WAS ENTITLED "SHEIKH NASSER BIN ZAYED,
SHEIKH AHMED BIN ZAYED AND SHEIKH MANSOUR BIN ZAYED RECEIVE
CONDOLENCES FROM CURRENT U.S. AMBASSADOR". FORMER AMBASSADOR
MARCELLE WAHBA'S CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE REPORTED EXTENSIVELY IN
ALL LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON 11/07 WITH
PHOTOS WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA, SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED, SHEIKH
ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED, SHEIKH SAIF BIN ZAYED, SHEIKH HAMDAN BIN
ZAYED AND SHEIKH AHMED BIN ZAYED IN ARABIC DAILIES AL KHALEEJ, AL
ITTIHAD AND AL BAYAN.

SISON