MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000446

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 ELECTIONS


1. SUMMARY: ALL PAPERS CARRIED FRONT PAGE PHOTOS OF IRAQIS
VOTING AND HEADLINES SUCH AS "IRAQIS WIN DEMOCRACY," IRAQIS DEFY
TERROR TO CAST VOTES," IRAQIS EMERGE FROM THE TUNNEL WITH 60%
PARTICIPATION," AND "IRAQIS VOTE IN BIG NUMBERS AND THE
OCCUPATION RULES OUT A REQUEST TO WITHDRAW." EDITORIALS WERE
VARIED IN TONE. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT ENDING
THE OCCUPATION SHOULD BE THE FIRST STEP AFTER THE ELECTIONS.
ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" POINTED OUT THAT THE IRAQI
PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTIONS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY
ARE HAPPY ABOUT THE U.S. AND FOREIGN PRESENCE IN IRAQ. AN
EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" LAUDED THE IRAQI PARTICIPATION IN THE
ELECTIONS AND POINTED OUT THAT THIS EMBODIES THE IRAQI PEOPLE'S
AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ELECTIONS AS POTENTIAL FOR
POSITION CHANGE. ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" HEADLINED
"THE BIRTH OF A NATION" COMMENTED THAT THE IRAQI ELECTION SIGNALS
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR THE IRAQIS, AND THEY ARE FULLY
AWARE OF THAT. AN IIP OP-ED ON IRAQI ELECTIONS WAS PUBLISHED IN
"GULF NEWS" UNDER AMBASSADOR SISON'S NAME ON 01/30. A "GULF
NEWS" EDITORIAL PRAISED THE WILL OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND OFFICIAL
NEWS AGENCY (WAM) RE-PRINTED THIS ON THEIR OWN WEB SITE WITH THE
COMMENT "EARNING THE WORLD'S RESPECT, UAE PAPER ABU DHABI, 31
JAN. 05 (WAM)--A UAE PAPER TODAY COMMENTED ON THE CURRENT IRAQ'S
NATIONAL ELECTIONS, SAYING IN SEIZING THEIR DEMOCRATIC
OPPORTUNITY, IRAQIS CONFOUND THE SKEPTICS." END SUMMARY.


2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "EARNING THE WORLD'S RESPECT, " "GULF
NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 01/31: (DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH DAILY,
CIRCULATION 95,000)
".Democracy cannot be imposed, but the way ordinary Iraqis seized
the chance to contribute to the formation of stable government
does them great credit. It can only be hoped that the dream of a
normal life becomes reality."

3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE WILL OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE," AL
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 01/31: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED,
SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000)

". THE MASS POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN THE IRAQI ELECTIONS,
ESPECIALLY THE PARTICIPATION OF IRAQI WOMEN AND THE GOOD TURNOUT
AT ELECTION CENTERS THAT REACHED TO 72% OF THE 14 MILLION
REGISTERED PEOPLE FOR ELECTIONS, EMBODIED THE IRAQI PEOPLE'S
AWARENESS AND THEIR DESIRE TO IMPLEMENT THEIR NEW CIVILIZED
PROJECT AND TO GET RID OF ALL THE PAST AND PRESENT LOOSE ENDS, IN
ADDITION TO THEIR CONCERN ABOUT GETTING OUT OF THEIR CURRENT
CRISIS AND STARTING WITH A NEW FUTURE AND WRITING A NEW BIRTH
DATE FOR THIS NATION THAT POSSESSES ALL MEANS OF DEVELOPMENT AND
PROGRESS."


4. NOTING THAT ENDING THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ SHOULD BE THE FIRST
STEP TOWARDS FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED
01/3: (ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION
90,000)

". NO ONE SHOULD UNDER ESTIMATE WHAT IRAQ IS GOING THROUGH AND
THE DANGERS IRAQIS ARE FACING, THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT
DANGER IS THE OCCUPATION AND THE CHAOS CAUSED BY THE OCCUPATION.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM REQUIRE THE
RESTORATION OF NORMAL LIFE IN IRAQ, EVEN IF IT OCCURS GRADUALLY.
THE ELECTORAL PROCESS HAS BEEN CONCLUDED, BUT THERE ARE STILL
STEPS TO BE DONE, AND THE HOPE IS THAT ENDING THE OCCUPATION WILL
NOT BE THE LAST."


5. POINTING OUT THAT THE IRAQI ELECTIONS ARE NOT THE LAST STEP
IN ACHIEVING STABILITY IN IRAQ, "AKHBAR AL-ARAB" EDITORIALIZED
01/31: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, CIRCULATION 20,000)

". NO ONE COULD SAY THAT THE ELECTIONS ARE THE END OF THE
TRANSITION PERIOD, IT SHOULD FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF STABILITY
AND POLITICAL INTERACTION IN ORDER TO FORM THE COUNTRY'S
PERMANENT CONSTITUTION.IRAQ WILL NOT BE STABLE UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES UNLESS IRAQIS POSSESS CONTROL THROUGH A NATIONAL
CONSENSUS OF ITS PEOPLE. THIS IS THE ONLY GUARANTEE FOR POLITICAL
PROGRESS IN DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL INTERACTION."


6. NOTING THAT THE LARGE NUMBER OF IRAQIS PARTICIPATING IN THE
ELECTION DOES NOT SIGNAL THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THE FOREIGN
PRESENCE IN THEIR COUNTRY, "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 01/30:
(ARABIC DAILY, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED, CIRCULATION 40,000)

". THE LARGE NUMBER OF IRAQIS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE ELECTION
DOES NOT INDICATED THAT THEY ARE SATISFIED ABOUT THE FOREIGN
PRESENCE IN THEIR COUNTRY, IT MEANS THAT THEY ARE SEEKING TO
OVERCOME THE POST-SADDAM SITUATION IN IRAQ, AND THE FUTURE STARTS
TODAY. WE ARE WITH IRAQ IN TRYING TO OVER COME ITS ORDEAL AND
ITS DIFFICULT CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES."


7. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE BIRTH OF A NATION," "AL ITTIHAD"
EDITORIALIZED 01/30:

". TODAY, IN SPITE OF THE CRISIS THE IRAQI PEOPLE ARE FACING,
THEY LOOK TO THEIR FUTURE WITH AWARENESS AND WISDOM, TRYING TO
GET OUT OF THIS CRISIS WITH ALL MEANS AVAILABLE.THEIR EXPRESSION
OF SELF-DETERMINATION WILL WIN OVER EVILNESS, INJUSTICE, AND THE
REMNANTS OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME AND ESTABLISH A COUNTRY OF
JUSTICE, PEACE, AND STABILITY AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF
RECONSTRUCTION AND REBUILDING FOR A NEW IRAQ."


8. CRITICIZING THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF IRAQ AND THEIR DELIBERANT
IN DISMANTLING IRAQ, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 01/30:

". THE U.S. OCCUPATION IN IRAQ DELIBERATELY DISMANTLED IRAQ AND
DESTROYED ITS POLITICAL, SECURITY, ECONOMIC, MILITARY, AND SOCIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER TO RECONSTRUCT FOR ITS (THE U.S.) OWN
BENEFIT. THERE IS HOPE THAT THE IRAQI PEOPLE WILL CONSIDER THE
ELECTIONS AND ITS RESULTS AS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE
OCCUPATION AND THE STARTING POINT IN RESTORING ITS SERENITY AND A
REAL DEMOCRACY, WITH TRUE FREEDOM.THE ELECTION SHOULD NOT BE USED
BY THE OCCUPATION TO JUSTIFY ITS EXISTENCE IN IRAQ."
SISON