SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: TIP REPORT

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002705

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: TIP REPORT



1. SUMMARY: A UAE COLUMNIST RIDICULES THE TIP REPORT BY THE
STATE DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT THOSE WHO PREPARED THE REPORT "HAVE
DEALT ONLY WITH THE MOST EXTREME EXAMPLES OF ABUSES OF HOUSEMAIDS
AND IGNORED THE MAJORITY THAT ARE TREATED WELL AND WITH DIGNITY
IN OUR HOMES". HE CALLED ON SECRETARY RUMSFELD TO RESIGN,
FOLLOWING THE REVELATIONS OF KORAN ABUSE AND THE VIOLATIONS AT
THE ABU GHARIB PRISON. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE EXECUTIONER CAN
NEVER BECOME A JUDGE AND THOSE WHO ARE VIOLATORS OF THE LAW CAN
NOT BECOME PROMOTERS OF IT AT THE SAME TIME. END SUMMARY


2. MUHAMMAD YOUSUF WROTE IN HIS DAILY COLUMN IN DUBAI-BASED
ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" 6/10(CIRCULATION 90,000):

"FOLLOWING NEWSWEEK'S RETRACTION OF ITS EARLIER REPORT REGARDING
THE DESECRATION OF THE HOLY KORAN AT THE GUANTANAMO BAY, I WOULD
LIKE TO SAY HERE THAT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT, THE
PENTAGON ADMITTED THAT THERE ARE SEVEN CASES IN WHICH THE KORAN
WAS ABUSED. FOUR WERE CONFIRMED, BUT THREE ARE STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION. IT SEEMS THAT NEWSWEEK IS GIVING US A LESSON IN
THE FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA. WE ARE ACCUSED OF ABUSING MAIDS,
ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S TIP REPORT. IT SEEMS THAT
THOSE WHO PREPARED THE REPORT MET ONLY WITH THE CORRUPT AND THE
PERVERTED TO COME UP WITH SUCH A CONCLUSION. IF THEY HAD
INVESTIGATED FURTHER, THEY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT MAIDS RULE AND
CONTROL MANY HOUSES IN THE GULF, AND ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY BY
OUR WOMEN. BY THE WAY, THE U.S., WHICH SEEMS TO BE BUSY WITH THE
SITUATION REGARDING OUR MAIDS AND PREPARES REPORTS THAT
CONTRADICT REALITY, IS RELUCTANT TO RESPOND TO THE AMNESTY
GENERAL WHO ACCUSED THE U.S. OF CONFIRMED VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN
RIGHTS. AS WE ARE TACKLING THIS, WE MUST ASK "WHEN WILL DONALD
RUMSFELD SUBMIT HIS RESIGNATION AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE?" HE
PUSHED THE PENTAGON INTO SCANDALS AND WEEKLY VIOLATIONS. HIS
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JAILERS HAVE BECOME SUBJECT OF RIDICULE, AND
THE EVENTS OF ABU GHARIB IN IRAQ REPRESENTS ONLY A TINY PORTION
OF WHAT STARTED TO BE REVEALED OF VIOLATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN AND
OTHER PLACES.. THE EXECUTIONER CAN NOT BECOME A JUDGE AND THOSE
WHO VIOLATE THE LAW CAN NEVER BECOME PROTECTORS OF THE LAW."

SISON