MEDIA REACTION: GCC SUMMIT/IRAQI ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 005065

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 MCKUNE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: GCC SUMMIT/IRAQI ELECTIONS



1. SUMMARY: SPECIFIC COMMENTARY ON THE GCC SUMMIT AND ELECTIONS
IN IRAQ. AL-KHALEEJ PAPER CRITICIZED THE GULF SUMMIT AS FOCUSING
ONLY ON THE BUSINESS BETWEEN THE GULF STATES AND NOT THE DAILY
PROBLEMS OF GULF CITIZENS. AL-BAYAN QUESTIONED THE ROLE OF THE
GCC COUNSELING COMMITTEE AND HOPED THAT WOMEN WOULD BE ALLOWED TO
PARTICIPATE POLITICALLY. AL-ITTIHAD EXPRESSED OPTIMISM ABOUT THE
GULF SUMMIT, VIEWING IT AS A CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS SUCCESSFUL
STEPS. AL KHALEEJ LAUDED THE IRAQI ELECTIONS STATING THAT THIS
TIME ALL IRAQIS FROM DIFFERENT CREEDS ARE PARTICIPATING. END
SUMMARY.


2. Under the headline "Gulf summit between the proposed, the
deferred and the anticipated", Dr. Mohd bin Huwaiden, a UAE
editorialist wrote on Sharjah-based Pan-Arab daily "Al Khaleej,"
(circulation 85,000)

"There are high expectations for the Gulf summit due to take
place in Abu Dhabi this Sunday. However, this summit is not
expected to produce any radical decisions. It will only be a
continuation of the steps taken in 2001, which brought up
commercial issues and resulted in a commercial agreement."

"In the previous summits, a number of decisions were made with
respect to Gulf state citizens traveling to and doing business in
the region. With due respect to all the accomplishments of the
previous Gulf summit, it couldn't win the heart of the Gulf
citizen despite all of the decisions that were made. The reason
for this is that the Gulf summit never solved the troubles and
worries of Gulf citizens. The summit was able to win the hearts
of Gulf businessmen, who are now better off with a united customs
regime. However, it should also show some care towards normal
Gulf citizens."



3. Under the headline "Revamping the Gulf Summit", Dubai-Based
Arabic Daily "Al Bayan" (circulation 90,000) editorialized:

"In the past, the Gulf summit's main concern was to enhance
commercial cooperation between the GCC states."

"Women should be allowed to get involved with the establishment
of the national council since they represent half of our society.
The subject of women should not be treated differently from that
of men. Some countries have allowed women to participate
politically as in Kuwait but the political Islamic tides came as
an obstacle between them."

"The question is 'How can the counseling committee for the GCC be
developed?' This committee, which was formed back in 1996 by the
GCC leaders, seems to have a vague role. It needs to have an
effective role and include women."


4. Abu Awad wrote in his daily column in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic
Daily "Al Ittihad," (circulation 65,000):

"Hopes rise with the convening of the Gulf summit in Abu Dhabi
for making the dreams of Gulf citizens come true and for
recording more success in their steps towards further
collaboration among the Gulf States."

"Ideas such as a united customs regime have come true and now we
can daily see with our eyes in the streets of Abu Dhabi, Dubai,
Jeddah, Muscat, Manama, Kuwait and Doha that slogans such as 'the
gulf nationalism' have been made real."

"We hope for more of these positive steps to take place
tomorrow."



5. Under the headline "Hope Summit", Abu Dhabi-Based Arabic
daily "Al Ittihad wrote," (circulation 65,000):

"The Gulf summit has succeeded in about a quarter of a century in
unifying the Gulf dream, especially in the economic sector. The
GCC people look forward to further success in supporting its
missions in all sectors."


6. Under the headline "First step towards a difficult path",
Sharjah-Based Pan-Arab daily "Al Khaleej," (circulation 85,000)
editorialized:

"IRAQIS ARE NOW WALKING ON THE RIGHT TRACK. IT IS TRUE THAT THE
IRAQI ELECTIONS ARE TAKING PLACE UNDER THE PRESENCE OF THE
OCCUPIER AND ACCORDING TO THEIR RULES AND CONDITIONS. IT IS TRUE
THAT THE ELECTORAL LISTS WERE FORMED ON THE BASIS OF CREED AND
SECT AT THE OCCUPIER'S ENCOURAGEMENT. BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT
IRAQIS HAVE PROVEN THEIR ABILITY TO ENDURE THE DIFFICULTIES,
IMPEDIMENTS AND THREATS CAUSED BY THE OCCUPIER AND THE DARK
FORCES THAT USE RELIGION AS A PRETEXT FOR BLOODSHED. THE IRAQIS
WENT TO THE POLLING STATIONS TO PULL IRAQ FROM ITS CURRENT
DILEMMA AND TOWARDS A FREE AND UNIFIED IRAQ. THE KEY ISSUE ABOUT
THIS ELECTION IS THAT THIS TIME ALL IRAQIS FROM DIFFERENT CREEDS
ARE VOTING. IT SEEMS THAT THEY ALL NOW BELIEVE THAT DEMOCRACY
MUST BE FOR ALL AND THAT REBUILDING IRAQ REQUIRES THE EFFORT OF
ALL IRAQIS."

"Now it is the responsibility of the Iraqi parliament to form a
unified Iraq free from occupation and terror. This is not an
easy task, but there is a spark of hope that this first step will
pave the way for Iraqis to put an end to their grief and their
country's occupation. "



7. UNDER THE HEADLINE "VOICE OF THE IRAQIS", SHARJAH-BASED
ENGLISH DAILY "THE GULF TODAY" (CIRCULATION 15,000)
EDITORIALIZED:

"AMID THE CHAOS OF BOMBING AND CLATTER OF GUNFIRE, THE CONFIDENT
VOICE OF THE IRAQIS CAME THROUGH STRONGLY. ELEVEN MILLION AMONG
THE 15 MILLION ELIGIBLE VOTERS HAD CAST THE BALLOT IN THE
LANDMARK POLL. ITS OUTCOME IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WILL DECIDE THE
COURSE OF IRAQ HISTORY."

"The insurgents, who claimed to represent the Sunnis, saw the
community choosing the ballot over the bullet. If there had been
more polling booths in Sunni-dominated areas, the voting
percentage would have been higher. They were willing to defy Al
Qaeda's call to scuttle the electoral process. "

"Bush proclaimed that the vote was a major milestone and hoped
the US would have a democratic ally. But the quality of that
alliance depends on the kind of ties Washington intends to build
with Baghdad's new rulers. Any overbearing sign will meet with
resistance."

"Attempts to leverage the new Baghdad government as an instrument
of US policy to dominate the Middle East will fail. The Iraqis
are proud people, who will refuse any interference. They want to
rebuild the country with their own hands, as Prime Minister
Ibrahim Al Jaafari said. He expressed the ordinary Iraqi's
sentiment when he said people want to turn their poverty into
wealth and misery into happiness with resources God granted them.
The months ahead are crucial for Iraq and the entire region."


QUINN