Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI4603
2004-12-15 12:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 12/19/2006 04:40:47 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 04603

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: PAO
 INFO: ECON POL AMB DCM

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:HOLSIN-WINDECKER
DRAFTED: PAO:AALKHATIB
CLEARED: PAO:DEDGINTON

VZCZCADI563
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #4603/01 3501227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151227Z DEC 04
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7288
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0861
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0902
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004603 

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: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004603

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: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE



1. SUMMARY: THE "FORUM OF THE FUTURE" IN MOROCCO AND THE "ARAB
STRATEGY FORUM" IN DUBAI DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC
AND PRINT MEDIA THIS WEEK. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED
THAT REFORM IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE ARAB WORLD BUT NOT THROUGH THE
U.S. OR ISRAEL. WHEREAS ONLY A FEW EDITORIALS SPECIFICALLY
COMMENTED ON THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE, REPORTS WERE IN ALL ARABIC
AND ENGLISH PAPERS AND THE TONE WAS OFTEN CRITICAL. THE
DICHOTOMY OF THE POSITIONS OF THE ARAB WORLD AND THE UNITED
STATES WAS ALWAYS EVIDENT; THAT THE U.S. WAS INTERESTED IN REFORM
ONLY AND THE ARAB WORLD WANTED TO LINK REFORM WITH SOLVING THE
PALESTINIAN PROBLEM. SAMPLE HEADLINES INCLUDED, "WASHINGTON WILL
NOT HASTEN SOLVING THE MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO LINK IT
WITH REFORM." & "POWELL REFUSES TO LINK REFORM TO SOLUTION OF
PALESTINIAN ISSUE." UAE COLUMNISTS ABDULLAH RASHEED LAUDED SAUDI
ARABIA'S MUFTI'S CONDEMNATION OF THE ATTACKS ON THE U.S.
CONSULATE IN JEDDAH AND ANY SIMILAR ATTACKS. END SUMMARY.


2. Rashed Saleh Al-Uraimi wrote in his weekly column in the Abu
Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic daily "Al-Ittihad" 12/13:

"..What is noticeable about the two-day conference "Forum of the
Future" that took place in Morocco two days ago was the modest
and superficial language that characterized its communiqu, a
clear indication that the ceiling of the super power aspirations
for reforms and democracy for the region has severely dropped, or
may have reached a state of helplessness. As for
representatives of the region, they tended to change the course
of the forum, so it became an opportunity to talk about financial
assistance and an opportunity to attract financing for small
projects. Instead of educational reform they talked about
eliminating illiteracy, and the need to improve the status of
women instead of talking about empowering women, and voluntary
democratic reform instead of exporting democracy on the dead
bodies of regimes similar to the Iraqi case. The region, through
the obstruction of democratic winds, was able to restrain the
American administration and the neo-cons who are planning to
remap the region from scratch. What the super powers are planning

for peoples of the region is not clear in light of the statements
we hear. However, what peoples of the region aspire is crystal
clear and cannot be delayed. They prefer to improve their
standard of living and get job opportunities, solve the Arab-
Israeli conflict, eliminate extremism and improve healthcare
services, instead of all political reforms and other loose
slogans promoted by Washington. In short, the people of this
region do not suffer confusion in their vision and know very well
what kind of reform they need, unlike Washington, its allies as
well as some governments in the region."


3. NOTING THAT REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD HAPPEN BUT NOT
THROUGH THE U.S., "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/13:

". REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD IS REQUESTED, BUT NOT THROUGH THE
U.S. AND AS IT WANTS. AND REFORM IN PALESTINE IS POSSIBLE BUT
NOT THROUGH THE ZIONIST TERRORISTS. ARABS REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED
IN IRAQ BECAUSE OF THE AMERICAN REFORM AND WHAT HAPPENED IN
PALESTINE BECAUSE OF THE `ISRAELI' REFORM. IF THOSE TOOK THEIR
WICKEDNESS AWAY FROM THE ARABS, THE REGION WILL BE MORE THAN OK
AND IT WOULD HAVE CONCENTRATED ON DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT
INSTEAD OF CONCENTRATING ON REPELLING ATTACKS AND PROTECTING
PEOPLE AND LANDS FROM NEW OCCUPATION, DOMINATION, AND
OPPRESSION."


4. COMMENTING ON THE ARAB STRATEGY FORUM AND THE ISSUES THAT
ARABS NEED TO DISCUSS, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/14: (ARABIC
DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000)

"CHANGE, REFORM, MODERNIZATION AND THE ATTITUDES OF GOVERNMENTS
TOWARDS THIS, IN ADDITION TO THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS PALESTINE
AND IRAQ AND THE ATTITUDE OF THE U.S. AND THE ZIONISTS, AND THE
RELATION BETWEEN EAST AND WEST PARTICULARLY THE RELATION BETWEEN
ISLAM AND THE WEST ARE ALL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED AND
PRESENT IN THE ARAB STRATEGY FORUM."


5. UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED WROTE AN ARTICLE IN "AL
ITTIHAD" ON 12/13 LAUDING THE SAUDI MUFTI'S CONDEMNATION OF THE
ATTACKS ON THE U.S. CONSULATE IN JEDDAH: ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-
BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000)

". PROHIBITING THIS TERRORIST ATTACK OR ANYTHING SIMILAR TO IT
AND CONSIDERING THE PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED IT TO BE ATHEISTS IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION NOT ONLY IN
SAUDI ARABIA BUT ALL OVER THE ISLAMIC WORLD. IT IS TIME FOR ALL
>>> AND ALL ISLAMIC PARTIES TO BE CLEAR IN DEALING WITH THE
GROUPS THAT HAVE CHOSEN THE ROAD OF ATHEISM AND SINS."


6. POINTING OUT THAT THE U.S. PREFERS THAT THE REGION REMAINS
UNSTABLE, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/12:

". THE U.S. DOES NOT WANT DEMOCRACY IN THE REGION, IT IS ONLY
USING IT AS AN EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY ITS WAR AGAINST IRAQ AFTER ALL
THE EXCUSES REGARDING WMD AND THE CONNECTIONS WITH `AL QAEDA'
WERE USELESS. THE U.S. DOES NOT WANT ANY SETTLEMENT IN THE ARAB
REGION AS LONG AS IT IS ABLE TO DEFINE THE POLICIES IMPOSE THE
REALITY IT WANTS. IS THERE PROOF MORE THAN PRESIDENT BUSH'S
ANNOUNCEMENT OF POSTPONING HIS `VISION' OF A PALESTINIAN STATE TO
THE YEAR 2009 INSTEAD OF 2005?."
SISON