MEDIA REACTION: SHARON AND PALESTINIAN COMMITMENTS,

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000490

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI (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: MEDIA REACTION: SHARON AND PALESTINIAN COMMITMENTS,
AMERICAN AIRBASE IN LEBANON, AND DOHA BOMBING


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Stopping the Violence
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1. On March 19, the government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" carried
an editorial entitled, "Sharon's Dilemma is Growing":

"The Palestinian commitment to stop attacks against Israel --
provided Israel stops its hostile actions against the
Palestinians -- has put real pressure on Sharon. The Israeli
Prime Minister must commit to ending Israel's hostile actions and
stop the continual cycle of Israeli excuses for its unfair
actions."

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Conspiracy Theory
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2. The privately-owned Arabic daily "al-Watan" published an
editorial on March 21 entitled, "For the Airbase":

"The Arab media has ignored press reports from other regions on
the reason behind the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri and its
likely consequences. One electronic journal, "Journal Online"
suggests that the real goal of the assassination is to create a
crisis between Syria and Lebanon in order to force the Syrians to
pull their troops out of Lebanon. This would clear the way for
the U.S. to establish an airbase in the country. The journal
speculates that the American administration would use the airbase
as a center for communication and a forum from which to protect
the oil pipelines in southern Iraq, the Caspian Sea, and the
Turkish port of Jihan. According to the journal, a CIA source in
Washington confirmed that the proposed base would be as important
as any of the other U.S. bases in the Gulf."

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Rejecting Terrorism
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3. On March 21, the government-owned Arabic daily "Oman"
published an editorial entitled "The Condemnation of Terrorism":

"All forms of terrorism must be rejected. The international
community should stand firm against this phenomenon that has
taken root in Arab and Islamic communities despite our call for
tolerance and forgiveness. The terrible attack in Doha was an
immoral act. It has nothing to do with religion. The government
of the Sultanate of Oman strongly condemned the attack, and its
Minister of Foreign Affairs issued a statement affirming its
support for Qatar."

BALTIMORE