MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI CONSTITUTION/ARAB LEAGUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004284

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: IRAQI CONSTITUTION/ARAB LEAGUE
DELEGATION TO IRAQ/LACK OF ARAB HELP FOR IRAQ



1. SUMMARY: UAE'S SEMI-OFFICIAL DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" REPORTED
THAT IRAQI SUNNIS ARE OPPOSED TO THE NEWLY-DRAFTED CONSTITUTION
AND INTEND TO VOTE NO TO THE REFERENDUM ON OCTOBER 15.
EDITORIALS WELCOME THE ARAB LEAGUE DELEGATION'S UPCOMING VISIT TO
BAGHDAD, DESCRIBING IT AS AN OVERDUE VISIT THAT REPRESENTS THE
FIRST STEP TOWARDS A SERIOUS AND JOINT ARAB ACTION TOWARDS IRAQ.
QATARI WRITER ASKS, "HOW DO ARABS HELP IRAQ?" END SUMMARY.


2. A front-page headline in Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic
daily "Al-Ittihad" 10/09 (circulation 65,000) reads:

"Iraq: Sealing all borders and governorates to protect the
referendum. The Sunnis unanimously agree on rejecting the
constitution and differ on the mechanism." The story notes that
Sunni leaders have failed to agree on a formula on whether to
vote against or boycott the referendum on October 15. The story
also cites Sale Al-Mutlaq, a Sunni leader and spokesman of the
national dialogue council, as saying that the Sunnis of Iraq
totally reject the constitution in its current formula and are
determined to oppose it by all means. Another Sunni leader,
Adnan Al-Dulaimi, spokesperson of the Iraqi people conference,
vowed to participate in the vote by saying no to the
constitution.


3. Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic daily "Al-Ittihad" 10/08
(circulation 65,000) ran a front-paged story from Baghdad saying:

"In a surprising development, Saleh Al-Mutlaq, a prominent Sunni
tribal leader in Iraq called on the U.S. and the rebels to hold a
ceasefire during the month of Ramadan in preparation for direct
dialogue. He added that a coalition consisting of political
Sunni groups that have strong ties with the rebels is willing to
promote such a dialogue to stop the bloodshed. He also noted
that Iraqis had fought for two and a half years without achieving
anything. He said that it is high time to reach a political
breakthrough."


4. Commenting on remarks made by Iraqi Interior Minister in
response to earlier statements by prince Saud Al-Faisal regarding
Iranian intervention in Iraq, Dr. Saad bin Taflah Al-Ajmi wrote
in "Al-Ittihad" 10/08: "The Arabs are already too late to help
Iraq end the vicious circle of chaos that is the result of
various factors, namely the failure of U.S. administration in
administering Iraq in the post-Saddam era. The record of Amr
Moussa is not positive when it comes to the Iraq, starting with
his last minute moves to safeguard Saddam and his inattention to
Sheikh Zayid's proposal which would have saved Iraq from the war
and its catastrophic consequences."


5. Under the headline "The Taif of Iraq is difficult", Ahmad el-
Amin wrote in Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" 10/08
(circulation 85,000):

"Iraq may require more than one Taif (Agreement) after the
American war. The situation in Iraq in 2005 is totally different
from that in Lebanon during the late 1980s, because the Americans
plan to export Iraqi fires into neighboring nations. This is
clear in the mounting American warnings against Iran and Syria,
as well as Washington's accusations that Damascus and Tehran are
sponsoring, financing and arming groups that are engaging U.S.
troops in Iraq.. It is natural that Washington's agenda in Iraq
and the region adheres in full to its interests and those of
Israel. Besides, Iran has its own plans and interests that are
sometimes in conflict and other times in harmony with Washington.
However, what is absent from the calculations of Tehran and
Washington is the unity of Iraqis and their Arab identity which
is at stake now in light of Talibani and Jaffari."


6. Under the headline "Do Arabs help Iraq? How?", Qatari
intellectual Abdulhamid Al-Ansari wrote in Dubai-based "Al-Bayan"
(circulation 95,000) 10/10:

".FINALLY, THE ARABS HAVE DECIDED TO INTERVENE IN IRAQ,
REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES WE URGED THEM TO ENSURE STABILITY IN
IRAQ SIMPLY BECAUSE THIS IS A GCC AND ARAB INTEREST. YET, I AM
AFRAID THAT THEIR TRAIN WILL ARRIVE INTO BAGHDAD LATE, NAMELY
BECAUSE ARABS ARE MASTERS WHEN IT COMES TO WASTING TIME AND
OPPORTUNITIES. FOR THIRTY YEARS THEY STOOD AS ONLOOKERS AT THE
AGONIES AND TORTURE OF IRAQIS BY THEIR DICTATOR AND KEPT MAKING
PILGRIMAGE TRIPS TO HIM, EITHER OUT OF FEAR OR FOR THEIR
IMMEDIATE INTERESTS. ARABS DID NOTHING FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE
EXCEPT BACK SADDAM IN HIS FIRST OFFENSIVE AGAINST IRAN. IN HIS
SECOND AGGRESSION AGAINST KUWAIT, THEY WERE DIVIDED, WITH SOME
SAYING, 'DO NOT PROVOKE HIM BY NOT CONDEMNING THE OCCUPATION NOR
ASK HIM TO WITHDRAW.' WITHOUT AMERICA, A FACT WHICH A GROUP OF
GULF ARABS IGNORE NOW, KUWAIT WOULD NEVER BE RESTORED BACK TO ITS
GULF SISTERS AND THE GCC WOULD NOT ENJOY ANY STABILITY. IF THE
GOAL IS TO REACH NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND URGE ALL GROUPS TO
GET INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND AVOID IRAQ COLLAPSING
INTO SECTARIAN STRIFE, A POINT WHICH WAS REITERATED BY PRINCE
SAUD AL-FAISAL, THEN THIS IS A POSITIVE INTERVENTION. YET SOME
MAY INTERPRET THE SAUDI INITIATIVE AS SUPPORT FOR THE PROTESTING
MINORITY THAT DUMBLY BOYCOTTED THE ELECTIONS AND LATER ITS
REPRESENTATION IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE. THE SAME
MINORITY THAT FAILED TO IMPOSE ITS AGENDA ON THE MAJORITY AND
THEN TRIED TO ATTRACT THE SUPPORT OF OTHER ARABS BY HOLDING
CONFERENCES ABROAD MAKES THE CLAIM THAT THOSE COMBATING TERRORISM
IN IRAQ ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO EXTERMINATE IRAQI SUNNIS. WHAT IS
REGRETTABLE IS THAT ARAB MEDIA BELIEVED THIS DECEPTIVE CAMPAIGN,
AS IN THE CASE OF A SAUDI DAILY THAT BANNERED: `ARAB SUNNIS OF
IRAQ ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO A WAR OF LIQUIDATION'."

"Now, how can we help Iraq? We very much appreciate the Saudi
role that led the Arabs to move in support of Iraq and are
confident of its sincere role and understanding in regards to the
mounting concern over the Iranian role in the South.
Additionally, another move is required by Arab and Gulf states to
halt the efforts of all those who promote division and
provocation along the domestic front. The media and religious
forums must not be left to those who glorify terrorist actions
that harvest innocent lives while describing it as Jihad and then
condemning it when it is directed against them. This is a
vicious double standard that must be eliminated. The forums of
mosques have been turned into political forums that are
specialized in conspiracy theories and some religious figures
have turned into political analysts that wish terrorists imminent
victory. The Security Council called for a ban on provocation
and President Bush in his last speech attacked the provocative
Arab media outlets, yet the GCC nations have not taken any
measures. The Iraqis are fighting terrorism on behalf of all of
us and expect nothing from us but to stop provocations against
them and to stop our sons from entering into their country."

QUINN