Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MUSCAT11
2005-01-03 13:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

MUSCAT MEDIA REACTION: SADDAM TRIAL, ISRAEL, AND THE

Tags:  KPAO KMDR OIIP MU 
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UNCLAS MUSCAT 000011 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (TROBERTS),NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),NEA/P
(FFINVER),INR/R/MR
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH
PARIS FOR ZEYA
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER/ASILAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU
SUBJECT: MUSCAT MEDIA REACTION: SADDAM TRIAL, ISRAEL, AND THE
YEAR IN REVIEW


----------------------------------
The Best Defense Is A Good Offense
----------------------------------

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000011

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (TROBERTS),NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),NEA/P
(FFINVER),INR/R/MR
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH
PARIS FOR ZEYA
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER/ASILAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU
SUBJECT: MUSCAT MEDIA REACTION: SADDAM TRIAL, ISRAEL, AND THE
YEAR IN REVIEW


--------------
The Best Defense Is A Good Offense
--------------


1. The government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" published an
editorial on December 30 under the title "You Too":

"The United States is not insisting on the death penalty as
punishment for the crimes against humanity perpetrated by Saddam
Hussein. Yet Iraqi judges intend on prosecuting him to the
fullest extent of the law on all charges brought against him.
Despite insurmountable evidence of his crimes against the Iraqi
people, convicting Saddam will prove to be a difficult task.
Saddam's lawyers will argue that his intention was to stave off
rebellion -- not to destroy the lives of his people. Saddam's
defense is a controversial issue being debated in the
international arena, especially since many harbor doubts about
the legality of America's invasion of Iraq. If Saddam's defense
attorneys get UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to admit the war in
Iraq began illegally, and if Saddam's top advisors do not testify
against him, the defense will likely try to clear Saddam of
culpability by shifting the blame to his sons Udai and Qusai."

--------------
Sins Of The Parents
--------------


2. On December 31, privately owned Arabic daily "Al-Watan"
carried an editorial entitled "Holding Children Responsible":

"Israel recently passed a law that holds Palestinian children and
immediate family members accountable for the political actions of
the parents, based on Israeli standards of political activism.
The law stipulates that any aid provided to Palestinian families
can be revoked or discontinued if the parents are found to have
been activists against Israel. This law, which violates basic
human rights, further underscores Israel's attempts to mute the
Palestinians by withholding basic necessities such as food and
medicine from children. Inhumane practices like these are
unprecedented, and are simply mechanisms for forcing the
Palestinians to bow to the will of the Israelis."

--------------
From Bad To Worse
--------------


3. "Oman" published an editorial on January 1 entitled "Terrorist
Events Prevail In 2004":

"The year 2004 was characterized primarily by terrorism,
violence, and atrocities, despite great efforts (primarily
American) to combat these ills. In the past year, the world
witnessed 22 acts of terrorism, including the attack on the U.S.
consulate in Jeddah. Middle Eastern conflicts remain unsolved,
and all attempts at reform were frustrated. Joint Arab
cooperation remains tenuous; the Arab Summit was postponed
indefinitely. Iraq is still beset by violence, even after the
transition of power to the Iraqis in June. In the Darfur region
of Sudan, human rights violations escalated to such a degree that
the international community forced the UN Security Council to
intervene. Finally, the year concluded with a giant tsunami that
wiped out thousands across Asia. Can things get any worse in the
world?"

BALTIMORE