Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MUSCAT1413
2005-09-19 12:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: THE NEED TO DEFINE TERRORISM

Tags:  KPAO KMDR OIIP MU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS MUSCAT 001413 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, AND INR/R/MR

LONDON FOR TSOU
PARIS FOR ZEYA
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: THE NEED TO DEFINE TERRORISM

-------------------
ONE MAN'S TERRORIST
-------------------

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001413

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, AND INR/R/MR

LONDON FOR TSOU
PARIS FOR ZEYA
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: THE NEED TO DEFINE TERRORISM

--------------
ONE MAN'S TERRORIST
--------------


1. On September 18, privately owned Arabic daily "al-Watan"
featured an editorial entitled "Oman's Call To Define Terrorism":

"Demanding a clear definition of terrorism, and differentiating
between terrorism and legal resistance, was the main demand made
by the Sultanate in its speech at the UN summit. The Omani
position originates from its commitment to issues that are of
utmost importance in the Arab world. Oman also demanded the
reordering of priorities to focus on solving the issue of
terrorism by dealing with its roots. What the Sultanate called
for is logical because the UN Security Council cannot continue
issuing resolutions and taking actions in order to fight
terrorism without defining what terrorism is..."

--------------
ISRAELI HYPOCRISY
--------------


2. On September 19, "al-Watan" published an editorial entitled
"The Israeli Position Provokes Palestinian Worries":

"It seems that the Israelis are continuing to interfere in
Palestinian internal affairs, exposing their future plans
regarding peace and a final settlement with the Palestinians.
Arabs have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the
seriousness of the Israeli side in putting an end to the
Palestinian tragedy. Instead of ending the misery, Israel seeks
to increase it by killing more Palestinians and spreading
anarchy, 'proving' to the world that the Palestinians are not
capable of administering their own state."

--------------
DUPLICITY BREEDS TERROR
--------------


3. Also on September 19, Omani writer Abdullah al-Ulayan wrote an
editorial in the government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" under the
headline "New York Summit and International Terrorism":

"Politicians and leaders competed with each other in expressing
their worries, demands, and interests in their speeches at the
United Nations 60th anniversary. The United States demanded the
whole world support it in its fight against terrorism; another
country talked about political disturbance and terrorism; and
others about the importance of solving the economic problems that
cause terrorism. However, America did not discuss the issue of
hatred that it faces in many countries around the world. Also,
it did not distinguish between legal resistance and terrorism.
Why don't these politicians and leaders provide a clear
definition of terrorism? The duplicity in dealing with such
issues only increases terrorism, and Al-Qaida is proving this by
finding another environment for its operations: Iraq, a place
they'd never dreamed of before."

BALTIMORE