MEDIA REACTION: GREATER MIDDLE EAST/IRAQ/HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000643

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 O'FRIEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: GREATER MIDDLE EAST/IRAQ/HUMAN RIGHTS
REPORT



1. SUMMARY: THE NEW U.S. "GREATER MIDDLE EAST" INITIATIVE AND
THE SITUATION IN IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND
ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT THE
ARAB ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE AMERICAN PROJECT WAS "DIVIDED, AS
USUAL." ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" POINTED OUT THAT THE
AMERICAN TROOPS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASSACRES IN IRAQ. ALSO,
THE HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY
THE GULF NEWS' BUREAU CHIEF, NADEEM KAWACH UNDER A VERY POSITIVE
TITLE. END SUMMARY.


2. COMMENTING ON POSTPONING THE SIGNING OF THE INTERIM IRAQI
CONSTITUTION AND NOTING THAT ALL CONFLICT SHOULD STOP, ABU DHABI-
BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 03/07:

". DOES THE GOVERNING COUNCIL, THAT IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT
IRAQ, NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT IRAQ'S HIGHEST INTEREST NEEDS MORE
COOPERATION, HONEST EFFORTS, AND REALISTIC STEPS TO ACHIEVE
IRAQ'S UNITY AND TO IMPLEMENT PLANS TO RE-BUILD IRAQ WITHOUT
EXCLUDING ANY PARTY OR RELIGION FROM THESE PREPARATIONS, AND THAT
ALL ARE IRAQIS AND THEY ARE ALL IN ONE BOAT?"


3. NOTING THE ARAB ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE "GREATER MIDDLE EAST"
INITIATIVE, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 03/06:

". IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE ARAB ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE AMERICAN
PROJECT WAS DIVIDED, AS USUAL, WHEN DEALING WITH ANY SIMILAR
PROJECT. SOME DISAPPROVE WITH SHAME, SOME APPROVE IN SECRET, AND
SOME ARE CONFUSED BETWEEN APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL, AND EVERYONE
IS TRYING NOT TO GET THE U.S. ANGRY, ALTHOUGH WHAT IS PUT FORWARD
INCLUDES EVERYONE AS A WHOLE."


4. COMMENTING ON THE PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, "AL
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 03/06:

". THE 'PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST' PHRASE NO LONGER EXISTS
AND IS LOST BETWEEN ALL THE OTHER MANIPULATIVE PHRASES SHARON IS
USING TO CURTAIN THE WORLD'S SIGHT FROM THE DESPERATE SITUATION
IN PALESTINE, WHICH IS A RESULT OF HIS POLICY THAT IS BEING
IMPLEMENTED IN THE PALESTINIAN LANDS."


5. NOTING THAT WITH NO SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE, THERE
WILL BE NO REFORM, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN"
EDITORIALIZED 03/05:

". ARABS DO NOT HATE REFORM, BUT THEY DISAPPROVE OF REFORM BEING
IMPOSED ON THEM FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE GENERAL ARAB OPINION WANTS
REFORM TO ORIGINATE FROM ITS OWN WILL, NOT FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S
WILLS AND THOUGHTS THAT MIGHT NOT BE SIMILAR TO OUR CUSTOMS AND
ISLAMIC BELIEFS. IF WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO COMPLETE
REFORM THEN WE CAN'T IGNORE MIDDLE EAST ISSUES, ESPECIALLY THE
PALESTINIAN CAUSE WHICH IS 'THE MOTHER OF ALL CAUSES.' WE CAN'T
TALK ABOUT A BIGGER AND MORE REFORMED MIDDLE EAST WITHOUT TALKING
ABOUT THE REGION'S CRISES THAT INCLUDE WMD NOW, SINCE ISRAEL'S
WEAPONS ARE INCREASING. THERE IS ARAB ACCEPTANCE OF REFORM, BUT
THERE IS A MAJOR POINT IN REFORM WHICH SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED
AND THAT IS THE 'ABSENT' PEACE."


6. UNDER THE HEADLINE "SO IRAQ WILL REMAIN FOR IRAQIS," "AL
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 03/04:

". IT IS JUST NORMAL TO PLACE THE BLAME FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN
BAGHDAD AND KARBULA ON THE AMERICAN TROOPS, SINCE THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING SECURITY FOR IRAQIS BY INTERNATIONAL
LAW. IT IS NOT FAR FROM TRUTH THAT ISRAEL MIGHT HAVE A HAND IN
THIS MASSACRE AND PLANNING FOR IT SINCE IT IS THE NUMBER ONE
BENEFICIARY. THIS CONFLICT SERVES BOTH SIDES, THE FIRST (U.S.)
USING THE EXCUSE OF ENSURING IRAQI SECURITY, WILL CONTINUE ITS
OCCUPATION IN IRAQ FOR AN UNKNOWN TIME, THE SECOND (ISRAEL) WILL
SPREAD ITS ARMS TO POUR OIL ON FIRE. WHAT IS REQUESTED FROM
IRAQIS, ALL IRAQIS, IS UNITY OF WORD, OVERCOMING CONFLICTS, AND
RISING ABOVE ALL PAINS AND WOUNDS SO IRAQ WILL REMAIN A UNITED
COUNTRY FOR ALL IRAQIS AND IN ORDER TO DEFEAT ALL EVIL PROJECTS
DIRECTED TO THEIR COUNTRY."


7. DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" CARRIED A PROMINENT
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ITS BUREAU CHIEF NADIM KAWACH ON 03/04 UNDER
THE HEADLINE "US PRAISES UAE'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD," AND SUB
HEADLINE "DUBAI'S PRISON CARE PLAN COMMENDED":

"THE UNITED STATES HAS PRAISED THE UAE'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND
ACKNOWLEDGED THE COUNTRY'S EFFORTS TO ENSURE BETTER PRISON
CONDITIONS AND BAN ON TORTURE. THE DEPARTMENT WHICH IS ALWAYS
CRITICAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS RECORDS IN MOST OF THE DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES, ALSO HIGHLIGHTED DUBAI'S 'VICTIM CARE' PROGRAM."
WAHBA