MEDIA REACTION: CRISIS IN LEBANON

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002954 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 TC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CRISIS IN LEBANON ¶1. Summary: The Israeli invasion of Lebanon continues to generate extensive coverage in the UAE's print and electronic media. One writer in "Al-Bayan" criticized the G8 member states for mimicking the United States in condoning Israel's aggression. Another writer in "Akhbar Al-Arab" questioned the Bush administration's choice to limit UN response to the situation, despite Lebanon's requests for aid. Yet another in "Emarat al youm" criticized the lack of regional Arab solidarity. End Summary. ¶2. On 07/18, under the headline "International hypocrisy," the Dubai-based daily newspaper "Al-Bayan" (cir. 85.000) published the following in a lead editorial: "It's disgraceful that the leaders of the international community, who should serve as guardians of human rights and international law, continue to compete with one another in justifying Israeli aggression, calling on Hezbollah to free the two captured soldiers and end its attacks on Israel even as they merely ask Israel to practice some self-restraint, effectively giving Israel a green light for its actions in Gaza and Lebanon... The international community has passed countless resolutions demanding the return of Arab territory, namely UNSCRs 242 and 338, and has continued to press this angle in resolution 1559. The same resolution calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the Lebanese territories. While Syria has since left Lebanon, Israel continues to occupy the Shebaa Farms and three other hills in the area. We all know that if Israel had left Shebaa farms, the present situation would not have developed as it has. Israel's non-compliance with international law lies behind this latest wave of death and destruction in the Middle East." ¶3. On 07/17, under the headline "Paralyzed international will", the Abu Dhabi-based pan-Arab daily "Akhbar Al-Arab" (circulation 20,000) published the following in an unsigned editorial: "Per usual, America has prevented the UN from issuing any resolution that would help restore stability in Lebanon. US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton justified his stance by noting Washington's preference not to have the UN involved so as to leave doors open for possible diplomatic initiatives stemming from the ongoing G8 conference. Such a justification is utterly bizarre, as the conflict is closely related to the United Nations and its prior resolutions, while the eight countries Bolton referenced has representatives present while he spoke! This begs the question, why does Washington prevent the UN from performing its job while Israel escalates its aggression against a fellow UN member-state? US solidarity with Israeli aggression is nothing new, but what doesn't make sense is the UN's total paralysis even as a member-state is being attacked. The only solution to this paralysis is popular politics, wherein the world voices publicly its solidarity behind Lebanon and insists on an intervention that can prevent the region from erupting into open war." ¶4. On 07/17, under the headline "Support your brother", the Editor in Chief of the Dubai-based Arabic-language daily "Emarat al youm" (circulation 15,000) wrote the following: "Even as Lebanon is being attacked indiscriminately, Arab Foreign Ministers are arguing and mocking each other. Those assembled ignored Lebanon's suffering over the past six days, and laid blame at the feet of the Lebanese people for adventurism. These ministers should have first dealt with Israel's aggression and Lebanon's suffering, and then blamed whoever they desired... Some other Arab countries even hesitated to label Israeli actions as aggression! So goes Arab solidarity... " SISON