MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI ELECTIONS/PEACE PROCESS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004379 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 ALSO FOR MOC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI ELECTIONS/PEACE PROCESS ¶1. SUMMARY: DOMINATING COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA WERE STORIES ON THE IRAQI ELECTIONS, THE PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS, AND THE PEACE PROCESS. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEACE PROCESS TO PROSPER IS NOW. ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" NOTED THAT POSTPONING THE IRAQI ELECTIONS WOULD GIVE U.S. FORCES A JUSTIFICATION TO STAY IN IRAQ. END SUMMARY. ¶2. "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT THAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE SURPRESSED FROM TELLING THE TRUTH OR TALKING ABOUT THE ATTACKS THAT THEY ARE FACING, AS THESE ACTIONS WOULD BE UNDER THE CATEGORY OF "STIMULATION OF PEOPLE," BY ISRAELI STANDARDS. "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/01: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) ". TO STOP `STIMULATING' THE PEOPLE IN THE ISRAELI DICTIONARY MEANS TO STOP COUNTING MARTYRS AND INJURED PALESTINIANS.TERRORISM, KILLING, STIMULATION, SPREADING POISON, AND COVERING THE TRUTH ARE ALL ZIONIST SOURCED. IF WHAT IS REQUESTED IS TO PUT THE RIGHT STONE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE A NEW ERA, THEN THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SHOULD INSIST ON THAT THE TERRORISTS STOP THEIR TERRORISM FIRST AND SHOULD POINT OUT THAT IT WILL NOT TAKE ANY STEPS WITHOUT A PRICE." ¶3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE CHANCE OF PEACE," "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 11/30: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, SEMI- OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) ". THE FIELD NOW IS READY TO OPEN A NEW PAGE AND START SERIOUSLY IN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THE ROAD MAP AND PRESSURE THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS CONTINUING TO ATTACK THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS RESPONSIBLE IN THIS ERA; AND ESPECIALLY THE COUNTRIES WHICH CONSIDER THEMSELVES THE GUARDIANS OF THE PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, TO TAKE THE REGION OUT OF THIS VIOLENCE THAT SHARON AND THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT PUT IT IN. ALSO, THE ARAB COUNTRIES ARE REQUESTED TO ESCALATE IN THEIR DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO BACK UP THE NEW PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT AND SUPPORT IT IN ORDER TO GO AHEAD WITH THE PEACE PROCESS AND ACHIEVING AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL GIVE THE PALESTINIANS HOPE IN CREATING A FREE PALESTINIAN COUNTRY WITH ITS CAPITAL JERUSALEM." ¶4. Commenting on the requests to postpone the Iraqi elections, "Akhbar Al-Arab" editorialized 11/28: (Arabic daily, Abu Dhabi- based, circulation 20,000) ". If the elections were postponed because of those requests, this means that the Iraqi government and the occupation forces failed in their main duties to re-gain stability and security. Postponing the elections will give the occupation a new justification for them to stay in Iraq without any guarantee for violence to stop." SISON