MEDIA REACTION: ZARQAWI'S DEATH/GUANTANAMO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002464 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; RRU-NEA IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR MCKUNE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR AE KPAO TC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: ZARQAWI'S DEATH/GUANTANAMO ¶1. Summary: A female columnist in "Al-Bayan" describes Iraq as another faction-divided Lebanon under UK-US custody. A UAE columnist in "Al-Ittihad" criticizes those who sympathize with Al- Zarqawi's death. Another columnist in "Al-Ittihad" criticizes Hamas for considering Al-Zarqawi a symbol of the occupation resistance. A columnist in "Al-Khaleej" questions the credibility what U.S. authorities say about recent suicides in Guantanamo. "Akhbar Al-Arab" wrote that everything in Iraq is in the hands of the U.S. and not Al-Maliki. End summary. ¶3. Under headline "The U.S. administration and its plan of dividing Iraq", a female Professor, Dr. Nisreen Murad, wrote 6/13 op-ed in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan," (circulation 90,000): "...Iraq now is another faction-divided Lebanon who was born under UK-US custody. What the U.S. describes as effective participation by all Iraqi factions in the government, is in reality, a division of all Iraqis throwing them inside a dark tunnel. If applying democracy, spreading principles of human rights and maintaining Iraq's sovereignty is what is happening now, then why is Iraq paying this price through the rights of its sons and its demographic unity?" ¶4. Under headline "The end of the death game in Iraq", a UAE columnist, Mohamed Al-Hammadi, wrote 6/14 op-ed in Abu Dhabi- based Arabic daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): "I know no religion, cult or brain that could deem a man such as Al-Zarqawi, who killed innocent children, a martyr?! I also do not understand how some can take him or the likes of him, who retarded the progress of this nation while opposing other nations, as a brave man or a hero. The only reason why we as a nation have fallen behind other nations is we consider the likes of Al-Zarqawi as heroes, regard the likes of Al-Turabi as intellectuals, and allow many others to exploit our religion and vilify everything great in it... Sympathizing with Al-Zarqawi, no matter how minimum the sympathy is, is nothing but ridiculing the blood of many innocent people who were the victims of Al- Zarqawi's corrupt thoughts and clumsy acts... The problem is that some of these extremists who call themselves "Islamic 
groups" are totally convinced that they are right and that what they are doing is a religious obligation and that everything they are doing will be rewarded either by victory in life or by martyrdom and the winning of heaven after life with its virgin women. If only this misconception could be corrected, we could solve all the problems caused by terrorism in this world..." ¶5. Under headline "The biggest devil died", a Qatari columnist, Dr. Abdul Hameed Al-Ansari, wrote 6/14 op-ed in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): "...It would be a great downfall to Hamas if what Reuters said about their description of Al-Zarqawi as a hero and martyr of this nation was true. Even in denying the statement they confirmed that they still deem Al-Zarqawi as a symbol of resistance against the occupation. How can he be a symbol of resistance after killing 900 Iraqis who regard Al-Zarqawi as the biggest devil and is regarded by the whole world as the number one terrorist?!..." ¶6. Under headline "Slaughtered or suicide?", a columnist, Jaafar Mohamed Ahmed, in Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al- Khaleej" (circulation 85,000) wrote in a 6/14 op-ed: "...What happened in Guantanamo was a message which reflects the worst images of human rights violations by a country that claims to support human rights. What happened also is an appeal to the entire world to press for closure of this prison. Waiting for the results of the investigation is useless... because the prison guard is American, the investigator is American, and their interests are American. It is enough what the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy Colleen Graffy announced when she SIPDIS preceded the investigation of the suicide of these three detainees by saying that this suicide was a good work of propaganda whose goal was to grab attention and a tactic to continue Jihad. This is the American mentality; no need to comment." ¶7. Under headline "Is it in the hands of Al-Maliki?", Abu Dhabi- based Pan-Arab daily "Akhbar Al-Arab" (circulation 20,000) wrote 6/14 editorial: "...What can Al-Maliki do when he wasn't aware of Bush's visit to Iraq until 5 minutes before commencing talks? ...There is no sovereignty or national decision in Iraq. It is all in the hands of the United States, which is the only one who can prevent or grant anything in Iraq. It is also the only one possessing the military and international influence to stop any interventions. The United States, for instance, had already mandated Syria not to intervene in Lebanon; it did not ask the Lebanese Prime Minister to stop this intervention himself. This does not mean that Washington should nominate itself to serve as an Iraqi policeman, but the reality is that an occupation force does not usually leave any margin for Iraqis to practice their sovereignty, authority, influence, diplomacy and make national decisions. The right start would be to have the U.S. administration grant sovereignty to Iraq and its government to decide by itself its political and diplomatic relations with other countries according to its national interests, strategic vision, and national principles." SISON