UAE SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: YEAR END EXPECTATIONS FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000095

SIPDIS

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INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: UAE SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: YEAR END EXPECTATIONS FOR
THE ARABS



1. SUMMARY: REPORTS AND OP-EDS IN ARABIC DAILIES IN THE UAE
INDICATED THAT THE PLIGHT OF THE ARAB PEOPLE IS ONE OF THEIR OWN
MAKING, ATTRIBUTING IT TO THE LACK OF FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS,
TOTALITARIANISM AND BAD GOVERNANCE. ONE OP-ED ANTICIPATED THAT
THE PLIGHT OF ARABS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE DURING THE
SECOND TERM OF PRESIDENT BUSH. ANOTHER PIECE EXPECTED THE ARAB
WORLD TO HAVE MORE ILLITERATE, UNEMPLOYED AND POVERTY STRICKEN
PEOPLE BY THE YEAR 2020. END SUMMARY.


2. SALAHEDDIN HAFEZ WROTE IN THE SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY
"AL-KHALEEJ" (CIRCULATION 85,000) 01/03:

"THE YEAR 2004 WAS A YEAR OF GREAT FAILURE IN THE ARAB WORLD. IT
WAS A YEAR OF BLOODSHED AND KILLING FROM IRAQ TO SUDAN AND FROM
PALESTINE TO SOMALIA. IT WAS ALSO A YEAR OF FAILURE WHERE THE
ARAB NATION ACHIEVED NO DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS AND FINDS ITSELF
FURTHER AWAY FROM ITS DESIRED REFORMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS THAN IT
WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.. THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME OF THE
YEAR 2004 IS THAT AMERICA HAS RISEN SUPREME UNDER THE EXTREME
POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT BUSH.ALONG WITH A
SQUADRON OF RIGHT WING HAWKS WHO HAVE AN APPETITE FOR KILLING IN
THE NAME OF GOD."

"IF WE WANT TO SUM UP THE PAST YEAR, WE CAN SEE FIVE SIGNALS FROM
THE U.S.: ONE, A TENDENCY TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO SUBJUGATE
NATIONS AND PEOPLE, NOT ONLY IN SUDAN, IRAQ AND PALESTINE, BUT
MAYBE IN SYRIA, IRAN AND LEBANON. TWO, AN INCREASE IN U.S.
SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL, PROVIDING AN UMBRELLA FOR ITS AGGRESSIVE
POLICIES AGAINST THE ARABS. THREE, A DISDAIN FOR A STRONG UN
ROLE IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS AND AN ATTEMPT TO NEUTRALIZE THAT ROLE IN
FAVOR OF A STRONGER U.S. ONE. FOUR, THE LAUNCHING OF RELIGIOUS
MISSIONARIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, CONTRARY TO OLD AMERICAN SECULAR
VALUES, LINKED TO CURRENT U.S. POLICIES DESIGNED TO ENLIGHTEN
PEOPLE WITH A "HEAVENLY ORDER". FIVE, THE RESTRICTING OF CIVIL
AND ORDINARY FREEDOMS, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AMERICA, UNDER THE
PRETEXT OF COMBATING TERRORISM CONTRARY TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S
CALLS TO PROMOTE FREEDOM AND REFORMS."


3. COMMENTING ON DELIBERATIONS AT THE ARAB STRATEGIC FORUM,
WHICH TOOK PLACE IN DUBAI DECEMBER, 2004, UAE NATIONAL DR.
ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLAH WROTE IN AL-KHALEEJ (CIRCULATION 85,000)
12/28:

".. IN THE YEAR 2020 THERE WILL BE 400 MILLION ARABS, MOST OF
WHOM WILL BE POOR AND ILLITERATE, WITH YOUTH THAT ARE JOBLESS,
ANGRY AND INCLINED TOWARDS EXTREMISM.IN THE YEAR 2020 THE NUMBER
OF ILLITERATE ARABS WILL BE 130 MILLION AND THE NUMBER OF THOSE
WHO LIVE UNDER THE POVERTY LINE WILL BE 110 MILLION. BY 2020, WE
WILL ALSO HAVE 100 MILLION UNEMPLOYED, LEADING A MORE VIOLENT
ARAB WORLD.WHAT CAN WE DO REGARDING ALL OF THIS? IF
AUTHORITATIVE REGIMES AND THE ABSENCE OF DEMOCRACY CONTINUE TO BE
THE NORM, THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE ARAB WORLD WILL WORSEN.
THEREFORE, IF ARABS WANT TO REACH THE YEAR 2020 IN A BETTER
SHAPE, WITH MORE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, THEY MUST END
TOTALITARIANISM, CANCEL THE MONOPOLY OF POWER AND RESPECT HUMAN
RIGHTS AND FREEDOM. FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE WE WILL NEED FURTHER
PARTICIPATION, ENHANCED DEMOCRACY AND AN INJECTION OF POLITICAL
FREEDOM."


4. DR. ALI AL-TARRAH WROTE IN "AL-ITTIHAD" (CIRCULATION 65,000)
12/29:

".ARAB CRISES ARE OLD AND INTERRELATED. THE MOST PROMINENT IS
THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT THAT USED UP MOST OF OUR POTENTIAL AND
PUSHED US INTO MARGINAL CONFLICTS THAT DIVERTED US FROM VITAL
ISSUES. IT IS ALSO REMARKABLE HOW THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT GAVE
CERTAIN ARAB GOVERNMENTS THE JUSTIFICATION TO POSTPONE
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.AFTER THE 1967 WAR, WE COMMITTED OURSELVES
TO LIBERATING THE PALESINIAN TERRITORIES AND CAME UP WITH THE
PLO, WHICH LED US INTO ENDLESS CONFLICT DUE TO ITS INTERNAL POWER
STRUGGLES AND CONTINUOUS DEFEATS. THE SPIRIT OF REVENGE HAS
BECOME A MOTIVE OF OUR BEHAVIOR AND THE AVERAGE ARAB MAN HAS
BECOME SO DESPERATE THAT HE WOULD ACCEPT ANYTHING POSITIVE, EVEN
IF IT WAS BROUGHT BY THE DEVIL HIMSELF."


5. UNDER THE HEADLINE, "ARABS ARE A MELANCHOLIC NATION",
MUHAMMAD AL-HAMMADI WROTE IN "AL-ITTIHAD" ON THE SAME DAY:

"TWO DAYS AND WE WILL ENTER THE FIFTH YEAR OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
BUT WE ARE LOST, RELISHING IN GLORIES OF THE PAST AND FEELING
SORRY FOR OUR DEFEATS, NOT THINKING OF HOW TO RESHAPE OUR
FUTURE.LET'S BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES FOR ONCE AND ADMIT THAT
MOST ARAB PEOPLE DO NOT TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENTS. ARABS LOOK AT
INTELLECTUALS WITH AN EYE OF SUSPICION, BUT NEVER QUESTION
WHETHER THOSE IN OFFICE ARE IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACE. THEY LOOK
AT THE FUTURE THROUGH BLACK GLASS AND THUS THEY VIEW THE FUTURE
AS BLACK. MANY ARABS HAVE BEGUN TO VIEW THEIR ARAB IDENTITY AS
SHAMEFUL. THIS FEELING IS NATURAL IN LIGHT OF BAD GOVERNMENTS
TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES INTO WORSE ONES AND SIMPLE DEFEATS
BECOMING LARGER ONES. THE AVERAGE ARAB HAS A LACK OF FREEDOM,
AND SUFFERS WHEN HE WATCHES OTHER PEOPLE LIVE AND EXPRESS THEIR
OPINION FREELY. MOST ARABS BELIEVE IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT
HAVE NESTED IN THEIR MINDS. THEY BELIEVE THAT THOSE IN THE EAST
AND THE WEST ARE TARGETING US, AND ATTRIBUTE EVERY CRISIS TO AN
OUTSIDE AGITATOR. ALL OF THIS SHOWS THAT THE ARAB NATION IS A
MELANCHOLY NATION IN NEED OF A SPEEDY RECOVERY IF IT WANTS TO
BECOME A MEANINGFUL PART OF THE WORLD. THE FIRST STEP OF THE
PROCESS IS TO ADMIT WE ARE A DEFEATED NATION AND THEN FORGET OUR
DEFEATS. WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE ARE NOT THE BEST NATION AND
LOOK AHEAD TO BECOME A NATION THAT CAN WORK AND LIVE WITH
OTHERS."

SISON