SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: APPOINTMENT OF KAREN HUGHES

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001307

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; ALSO FOR MOC
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: APPOINTMENT OF KAREN HUGHES


1. SUMMARY: TWO PIECES IN LARGEST CIRCULATION ARABIC LANGUAGE
DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, PAN-ARAB "AL-KHALEEJ" 3/20 COMMENT ON
APPOINTMENT OF NEW UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
KAREN HUGHES. AN EGYPTIAN COLUMNIST COMPARES HER TASK OF
JUSTIFYING AMERICA'S POLITICAL AND MILITARY ACTIONS TO A PERFUME
SELLER IN AN ALLEY THAT IS FULL OF GARBAGE. ABU SALEM, A
COLUMNIST WRITING UNDER A PEN-NAME, WROTE IN THE SAME PAPER THAT
EVEN IF THE ADMINISTRATION BRINGS ONE THOUSAND LADIES LIKE
HUGHES, THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CLEAN THE IMAGE OF THE UNITED
STATES. END SUMMARY


2. EGYPTIAN COLUMNIST KHAIRY MANSOUR WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" 3/20:
(ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, CIRCULATION 90,000)

"KAREN HUGHES, A CLOSE ADVISOR OF PRESIDENT BUSH. TOOK CHARGE OF
ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TASKS ONE CAN IMAGINE -- CLEANSING
AMERICA'S REPUTATION IN THE WORLD. THIS MISSION IS MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT THAN MONEY LAUNDERING, BECAUSE CURRENTLY THE U.S.
ENJOYS A REPUTATION THAT NO ONE WOULD ENVY. THE APPOINTMENT OF A
VERY CLOSE MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S TEAM TO A SUCH A KEY
POSITION SIGNALS AN INTENT TO MEND WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION,
PENTAGON AND MILITARY DIPLOMACY HAVE SPOILED, AND RECOGNITION BY
THE PRESIDENT THAT HIS NATION'S REPUTATION HAS DROPPED AND IS
EXPERIENCING A SERIOUS CRISIS OF TRUST. THIS RECOGNITION
REFLECTS SELF-CRITICISM THAT MANY WOULD CLASSIFY UNDER THE LIST
OF VIRTUES. BUT, IS IT ENOUGH FOR A PERSON OF LOW REPUTATION TO
ADMIT THAT OTHERS ARE RIGHT IN THEIR CRITICISM? IF HUGHES TRIES
TO MARKET NEW AMERICAN CONCEPTS IN DEFENSE OF HER NATION'S
REPUTATION, THEN SHE WOULD BE "TRANSFORMING AMERICA'S MISTAKES
INTO SINS". WHAT DOES SELLING PERFUMES IN AN ALLEY THAT IS
CROWDED WITH STINKING GARBAGE MEAN? IT LOOKS RIDICULOUS IF IT IS
INTENDED TO JUSTIFY THE U.S.'S PAST AND PRESENT POSITIONS TOWARDS
THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE SINCERELY SYMPATHIZE WITH MRS. HUGHES
IN HER DIFFICULT MISSION. SHE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY START WONDERING,
WHY IS EVERYTHING AMERICAN HATED TO SUCH AN EXTREME EXTENT? AND
WHY IS THE IMAGE OF THE UGLY AMERICAN YANKEE, WHICH HAS
DIMINISHED FOR DECADES, BACK AGAIN? CLEANSING THE AMERICAN IMAGE
IS EXTREMELY COSTLY AND ITS PRICE MAY OVERRIDE WHAT IS BEING
SPENT FOR THE WARS AGAINST TERRORISM. THE PRESIDENT NEEDS AN
ADVISOR FOR THE SECURITY OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION, NOT FOR
NATIONAL SECURITY. THESE ADVISORS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE
RIGHT CHOICES TO MEND THE BAD IMAGE OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND
THEREFORE, CLEANSE THE BAD REPUTATION. SHE SHOULD APPOINT A
SOMALI ADVISOR, A SUDANESE, AN IRAQI, A REPENTANT EUROPEAN, IN
ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF OLD ADVISORS FROM LATIN AMERICA WHO
WITNESSED AMERICAN GENEROSITY TOWARDS FORMER CHILEAN PRESIDENT
PINOCHET. THESE PEOPLE ARE FULLY AWARE OF AMERICA'S REPUTATION
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. HOWEVER, IF HUGHES ENDS UP RELYING ON
FORMER AMBASSADORS AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RETIREES - THE TYPE OF
PEOPLE WHO USE FACTS AND RESEARCH TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN AGENDAS-
IF SHE RELIES ON THESE PEOPLE, SHE WILL SOON FIND OUT THAT HER
POSITION WILL DO MORE DAMAGE TO HER NATION'S REPUTATION.

3.ABU SALEM (PEN NAME) WROTE IN THE LAST PAGE OF THE BUSINESS
SECTION OF "AL-KHALEEJ" 3/20:
"THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION APPOINTED KAREN HUGHES IN AN INFO-
POLITICAL POSITION TO IMPROVE AMERICA'S REPUTATION. THE
APPOINTMENT INDICATED THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS AWARE OF
ITS POOR REPUTATION AND THAT IT REQUIRES SOMEONE TO CLEAN IT UP,
POLISH IT AND IMPROVE IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVEN IF THEY BRING
ONE THOUSAND LADIES LIKE HUGHES, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DETERGENTS
OR MAKE-UP IN THE WHOLE WORLD TO IMPROVE THE REPUTATION OF THE
UNITED STATES."
ALBRIGHT