MEDIA REACTION: 9/11/ CONTRIBUTION TO KATRINA VICTIMS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003927

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 MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: 9/11/ CONTRIBUTION TO KATRINA VICTIMS



1. SUMMARY: ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILIES COVERED
MISSION'S COMMEMORATION OF THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11
TERRORIST ATTACKS THAT WAS ATTENDED BY THE RELIGIOUS ADVISOR OF
THE PRESIDENT, SENIOR UAE OFFICIALS AND CHIEFS OF MISSIONS
ACCREDITED IN THE UAE. A SEPARATE PRESS RELEASE THANKING THE
UAEG FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KATRINA VICTIMS WAS CARRIED IN ALL
PAPERS. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL-BAYAN" ADMITS THAT THE ATTACKS
REPRESENTED A SHOCK AND HUMILIATION THAT OBLIGED THE U.S. TO
RESPOND, YET THE REACTION WENT TOO FAR TO THE LEVEL OF
REFORMULATING THE REGION IN ACCORDANCE WITH U.S. INTERESTS. "AL-
KHALEEJ" WONDERS ABOUT THE RESULT OF U.S. WAR AGAINST TERRORISM,
NOTING THAT THE WAR THAT COST $500 BILLIONS ACHIEVED NOTHING AND
AFGHANISTAN REMAINS A QUAGMIRE, BEN LADEN REMAINS ALIVE AND IRAQ
HAS TURNED FROM A SMALL NATION BESEIGED BY THE U.S. INTO A NATION
THAT BESEIGES AMERICA. A COMMENTATOR IN AL ITTIHAD SAYS ARAB
REGIMES CHANGE ONLY IF AMERICA KICKS ASS. END SUMMARY


2. ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILIES ON 9/12 FEATURED THE
EMBASSY'S OBSERVATION OF THE 9/11 TERRIRST ATTACKS.

THE ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" HEADLINED:

"THE AMERICAN EMBASSY OBSERVES THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11
ATTACKS. SISON: `THE UAE IS A STANCH AND STRONG ALLY IN
CONFRONTING TERRORISM. HASHEMI CALLS FOR MORE EFFORTS TO SPREAD
VALUES OF LOVE AND TOLERANCE WORLDWIDE."

ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" HEADLINED:

"U.S. AMBASSADOR PRAISES UAE'S SUPPORT. THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN
ABU DHABI OBSERVES THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11."

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY DUBAI-BASED DAILY "KHALEEJ TIMES"
HEADLINED:

"4TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 OBSERVED. ENVOYS, DIPLOMATS, UAE
OFFICIALS GATHERED AT THE U.S. EMBASSY. U.S. THANKS UAE FOR
KATRINA AID."

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DUBAI-BASED DAILY "GULF NEWS" HEADLINED:

"U.S. EMBASSY HOLDS 9/11 REMEBRANCE CEREMONY."


3. 9/14, ALL PAPERS CARRIED AMBASSADOR'S STATEMENT THANKING THE
UAEG FOR KATRINA ASSISTANCE. AL-ITTIHAD HAD THE STORY ON PAGE 1
UNDER THE BANNER. THE FULL TEXT AND PHOTO WAS PUBLISHED ON
OFFICIAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION WEBSITE.


4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "9/11 AND THE MOUNTING CONSEQUENCES",
DUBAI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL BAYAN," (CIRCULATION 90,000):

"ALTHOUGH THE ATTACKS REPRESENTED A SHOCK AND HUMILIATION THAT
AMERICA HAD TO RESPOND TO WITH A SIMILAR POWER, YET THE RESPONSE
WAS TAKEN UNILATERALLY AND WENT FAR BEYOND ALL NORMS AND IGNORED
ALL OPPOSITION BY UN. THIS MADE PEOPLE COME TO THE CONCLUSION
THAT THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION IS USING THE EVENT AS A PRETEXT TO
REFORMULATE AND REMAP THE ENTIRE REGION."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY: WHAT HAS BEEN
CHANGED?", SHARJAH-BASED PAN -ARAB DAILY "AL KHALEEJ,"
(CIRCULATION 85,000):

"THE FIRST QUESTION AMERICA ASKED ITSELF ON THE MORNING OF THE
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY IS: WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED DURING THE LAST FEW
YEARS DURING WHICH WE FOUGHT TWO HUGE BATTLES AND A GLOBAL WAR
AGAINST TERRORISM WHERE WE SPENT MORE THAN $500 BILLIONS ON
FOREIGN AND NATIONAL SECURITY? THE INITIAL ANSWER IS SIMPLY
NOTHING; AFGHANISTAN REMAINS A QUAGMIRE AS IT WAS BEFORE THE YEAR
2001 AND IRAQ HAS BEEN TURNED FROM A SMALL NATION BESEIGED BY THE
U.S. INTO A STATE THAT BESEIGES THE U.S. AFTER THE INVASION.
ABOVE ALL, OSAMA BIN LADEN REMAINS ALIVE AND MOVES COMPLETELY
FREE BETWEEN LONDON, MADRID AND SOUTHEASTERN CAPITALS AND MAY BE
SOON BETWEEN LOS ANGLES AND NEW JERSEY."


6. COMMENTATOR ABDULLAH RASHEED WROTE UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE
POLICY OF KICK ASS", IN THE SEMI-OFFICIAL ABU DHABI-BASED ARABIC
DAILY "AL ITTIHAD," (CIRCULATION 65,000):

". THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE ARAB WORLD HAS WITNESSED REMARKABLE
CHANGES DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS. HOWEVER, THESE CHANGES WOULD
NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITHOUT FOREIGN PRESSURE, NAMELY AMERICAN
PRESSURE ON MOST ARAB REGIMES. THE CHANGE AND THE CALL FOR
CHANGE CAME IN REACTION TO FOREIGN PRESSURE THAT FORCED THE ARAB
REGIMES TO GIVE IN, AND NOT IN RESPONSE TO INTERNAL NEEDS AS MANY
TRY TO DELUDE THEMSELVES. THE FACT IS, WITHOUT WESTERN DEMANDS
AND WITHOUT U.S. EFFORTS TO FORCE ARAB NATIONS TO TAKE THESE
STEPS, USING STICKS SOMETIMES AND CARROTS OTHER TIMES, THESE
REGIMES WOULD NOT GIVE IN TO THE DESIRES OF THEIR PEOPLE. THE
ARAB WORLD OFTEN BEHAVES LIKE AN ADOLESCENT, WHO ONLY IS DETERRED
IF HE IS KICKED ON HIS ASS. `THE CHANGE FROM INSIDE' IS A JOKE
THAT WAS PROMOTED BY THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE ARAB INTELLCTUALS AND
CAN REALLY BE CONSIDERED AS THE JOKE OF THE YEAR THAT NO SANE
INDIVIDUAL WILL BUY. THOSE WHO BELIEVE THIS ARE DELUDED. ARAB
POLICIES ARE GOOD ONLY WITH KICK ASS."

SISON