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