MEDIA REACTION: LEBANON

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000999

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 ALSO PASS TO MOC


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: LEBANON



1. SUMMARY: THE SITUATION IN LEBANON AND THE LONDON
CONFERENCE SUPPORTING THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DOMINATED
COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN
"AL ITTIHAD" LAUDED THE RESIGNATION OF OMAR KARAMI. ANOTHER
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE REASONS BEHIND
KARAMI'S RESIGNATION. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" CRITICIZED
THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST PROJECT AND URGED ARABS TO DRAW THEIR OWN
ROAD MAP. END SUMMARY.


2. LAUDING THE RESIGNATION OF OMAR KARAMI AND HIS GOVERNMENT, AL
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 03/02: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED,
SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000)

". THE DEVELOPMENTS IN LEBANON SINCE AL HARIRI'S ASSASSINATION
PROVED THAT THE LEBANESE PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME THAT TRAGIC EVENT
AND ARE NOW WISER, HAVING DEALT WITH THE CRISIS SENSIBLY AND
INSIGHTFULLY.THE RESIGNATION OF KARAMI, ALTHOUGH LATE, MEANS THAT
ALL POLITICAL GROUPS UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF THIS CRISIS.
MAINTAINING A BALANCED RELATIONSHIP WITH SYRIA ACCORDING TO THE
TAYEF AGREEMENTS IS REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR LEBANON TO PEACEFULLY
CONTINUE ITS NATIONAL AND ARAB JOURNEY."


3. BEING SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT'S RESIGNATION,
"AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 03/02: (ARABIC DAILY, DUBAI-BASED
BUSINESS-ORIENTED, CIRCULATION 40,000)

". THIS RESIGNATION IS OPEN TO TWO INTERPRETATIONS, DEPENDING ON
THE REASONS FOR HIS RESIGNATION. IF THE REASON WAS TO THROW
LEBANON INTO A LONG GOVERNMENT CRISIS THEN HIS DECISION WILL LEAD
TO GREATER DETERIORATION, BUT IF THE REASON WAS TO ASSIST LEBANON
IS OVERCOMING THIS CRISIS IN A REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE WAY THEN
THE CRISIS WILL BE OVER. IF INDICATIONS ARE CORRECT, AND THE
RESIGNATION IS FOR THE SECOND REASON, THEN THE SITUATION IN
LEBANON WILL SOON BE ON THE RIGHT TRACK."


4. NOTING THAT ARABS SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN ROAD MAP AND
CRITICIZING THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST PROJECT, "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 03/02: (ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL,
CIRCULATION 90,000)

"WHEN WILL ARAB COUNTRIES DECIDE TO DRAW THEIR OWN ROAD MAP, ONE
BASED ON SERIOUS, COURAGEOUS, AND HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
ARAB SITUATION.ONE THAT WILL RESULT IN THE BETTER FUTURE THAT ALL
ARABS DESERVE.THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST PROJECT'S INVASION OF THE
ARAB WORLD SHOULD BE STRONGLY RESISTED BY ALL ARABS SINCE IT
MINIMIZES ARABS AND BURIES THEIR IDENTITY.THE NEXT ARAB SUMMIT IS
VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION THE ARAB WORLD IS FACING
NOW."
SISON