Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUDHABI3535
2006-09-06 14:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ/LEBANON/AFGHANISTAN

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
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OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHAD #3535 2491433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061433Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6836
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1102
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RHWSMRC/MCF01 SACCS USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003535 

SIPDIS

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: DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ/LEBANON/AFGHANISTAN

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003535

SIPDIS

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: DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ/LEBANON/AFGHANISTAN


1. Summary: A Lebanese columnist in "Al-Khaleej" highlighted the
fact that neoconservatives might abandon their objective to spread
democracy in Iraq and the Middle East, but will never abandon their
oil there. An Unsigned editorial in "Al-Khaleej" comments that
Arabs are being besieged by Israel instead of them besieging Israel,
based on their belief that the U.S. is a fair broker and will stop
the war criminals in the Zionist entity from continuing their
terrorism. A columnist in "Al-Ittihad" sarcastically says that the
only U.S. achievement in Afghanistan has been to expand opium
fields. End Summary.



2. Under the headline "Neoconservatives: No to 'Farewell to Arms,'"
Saad Mehio, a Lebanese columnist wrote the following 09/06 editorial
in the Sharjah-based Arabic-language daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation
90,000):

"Henry Kissinger recently said that he supported the invasion of
Iraq for geo-political reason but he did not expect the
neoconservatives to be so stupid as to make Iraq a democracy. The
neoconservatives might be stupid theoretically, but they are not
stupid practically and geo-politically. They might abandon their
objective to spread democracy in Iraq and the Middle East but they
will never abandon the oil of Iraq and the Middle East. They will
not abandon militarism and American unilateralism."


3. Under the headline "The Afghani achievement", a columnist, Majdi
Mustafa, wrote in his column in the Abu Dhabi-based semi-official
Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad" on 09/06 (circulation 65,000):

"Expanding the opium fields in Afghanistan is the only American
achievement in Afghanistan five years after continuous war in that
country. Drug-addicts and drug dealers worldwide are thankful to
President Bush."


4. Under the headline "The Arabs stopped besieging Israel and now
Israel is besieging them", Sharjah-based Arabic-language daily
"Al-Khaleej" editorialized on 09/06 (circulation 90,000):

"Israel would not have been able to besiege an Arab state had the
Arab states continued to besiege Israel. The Arabs believed that
the U.S. was a fair broker and that the war criminals in the Zionist
entity would stop their terrorism and occupation. However, they were
disappointed and now the Arabs are continuously compromising while
the Zionist enemy and its sponsors in the U.S. administration demand
more."


SISON