SPANISH REACTION TO NEWSWEEK'S RETRACTION OF KORAN

UNCLAS MADRID 001880 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KISL SP SUBJECT: SPANISH REACTION TO NEWSWEEK'S RETRACTION OF KORAN DESECRATION STORY REF: STATE 90992 ¶1. The Spanish media have given very prominent coverage to Newsweek's retraction of its Koran desecration allegation story. All national and major regional broadcast and print media have made the retraction either the lead or one of the top three international stories in May 17 reports, including national television stations TVE (state-run),Antena 3, and TeleCinco, and major radio networks Radio Nacional (state-run),Radio Nacional, Radio SER (the ratings leader and usually anti-American),and COPE. Elements of our talking points are included in all of the stories and most stories contain the USG's point of view; we are emphasizing the retraction with media and government officials as appropriate. ¶2. The Spanish dailies note that the White House is "angry" or "indignant" over the original story; most accounts state that the White House "pressured" Newsweek to retract the story. The Newsweek retraction story, titled "Newsweek retracts report on Koran desecrations in Guantanamo; White House pressured the magazine to deny the report, not just apologize," was the lead in national daily-of-record El Pais. Conservative daily ABC led with "Newsweek retracts article about offenses against the Koran after U.S. pressures; Bush Administration criticizes magazine for seriously harming U.S. image by accusing, without proof, desecrations against the Koran in Guantanamo." Centrist daily El Mundo ran a ten-paragraph story titled "White House not satisfied with Newsweek's apologies." The retraction was also the lead story in Barcelona-based La Vanguardia, although its sub-heading was "U.S. can't stop Islamic anger denying the desecration." Most stories note that anger in the Islamic world over the initial allegations remains. More critical media note that the U.S. image had already been severely damaged by the Abu Ghraib scandal and the issue of Guantanamo. ¶3. The Islamic Commission of Spain, the official representative of the Muslim community in Spain for negotiations with the GOS, issued a statement May 14 condemning the desecration of the Koran by U.S. soldiers at Guantanamo Bay, as reported by Newsweek. The statement calls the Guantanamo allegations a "new provocation" where it is necessary for Muslims "to react calmly, but firmly." The text also criticizes "torture, maltreatment, and abuse" against Muslim prisoners at "Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and other sites," and talks of how the USG "lacks credibility" to investigate these abuses. The Islamic Commission's official web site also reproduces the article "800 Days in Guantanamo," by Luis de Vega that contains allegations of U.S. soldiers desecrating the Koran. Spanish dailies have widely covered worldwide reaction to claims by Newsweek of desecration of the Koran, but the Spanish Muslim community has not been involved in large-scale demonstrations during the past week. Since the March 11 train bombings in Madrid, the Spanish Muslim community has generally kept a lower profile than other European Muslim communities. The Islamic commission has not yet commented on Newsweek's retraction. Embassy is trying to contact the Islamic Commission to urge coverage of the retraction. Poloff discussed talking points with Mustapha El M'Rabet, the President of the Association of Moroccan Immigrants and Workers (ATIME) and a leading voice on Islamic issues in Spain. M'Rabet said he was aware of the press coverage, but that his organization would not issue any statement regarding the News