MEDIA REACTION: IRAN/UAE CAMEL JOCKEYS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003783

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: IRAN/UAE CAMEL JOCKEYS


1. Summary: A UAE columnist in "Al-Khaleej" warns of Iran's active
intervention in Arab issues, especially in Iraq and Lebanon. An
editorial in "Al-Ittihad" lauded the way the UAEG handled the issue
of camel jockeys. End Summary.


2. Under the headline "The Iranian expansion in Arab affairs", UAE
columnist, Dr. Abdul-Khaliq Abdulla, wrote on 09/26 in Sharjah-based
pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000):

"Iranian interference in Iraqi internal affairs, such as the
occupation of Iraq, is an important reason for the deterioration of
the security situation and living conditions in Iraq. Iran is today
an active party to the dismemberment of Iraq. There is nothing
worse than the American occupation of Iraq except for the Iranian
intervention in Iraq. Both of them equally bear the political and
moral responsibility for the suffering of the Arab people in Iraq...
Iran is playing very shrewdly and subtly the tune of sectarianism
and at the same time ensures that it imposes itself as the spokesman
for all Shiites around the world. The Iranian expansion is
responsible for fueling sectarian tensions in a volatile region...
Sunni-Shiite anger has reached alarming levels in Iraq, which is on
the verge of civil war. Sectarian tension in Lebanon has also
increased because of Hezbollah's victory backed by Iran. Such
unprecedented sectarian tension can be exploited by enemies to
divide the Arab nation already suffering from chronic political
fragmentation. The Arab nation has no interest in fabricating
battles with Iran, but the Iranian expansion is harmful and it is
very important to deal with it. The best way to deal with the
Iranian expansion is to play an active Arab role in Iraq, increasing
the dose of Arab aid to Lebanon and establishing a national,
political, and Arab dialogue to alleviate secular and religious
conflict. With that done, it will be alright to activate a direct
Arab-Iranian dialogue on all the popular and official levels to talk
frankly and openly about legitimate Arab fears of the unprecedented
Iranian expansion into our Arab affairs."



3. Under the headline "Necessary steps to address allegations", Abu
Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad"
editorialized on 09/25 (circulation 65,000):

"The issue of Camel Jockeys in the UAE has been resolved through a
systematic and serious plan sponsored by the senior officials of the
country. How this issue was handled reflects the seriousness and
official concern used in dealing with this thorny issue... which
previously resulted in a negative impact on the depiction of the UAE
in international forums and specialized reports. The fine and
professional manner with which the UAE dealt with this began with
the law issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
the president of the UAE on the regulation of camel races and the
prohibition of using children under the age of 18 as camel
jockeys... Moreover, a national committee was formed to combat
human trafficking in UAE... The UAE leaders were keen to tackle
this problem as it goes against the civilized religious and moral
values that prevail in the UAE. This was done through coordination
between the UAE's Ministry of the Interior and the Organization of
the United Nations Children's Fund "UNICEF", which recently lauded
what has been achieved... The organization's representatives
expressed their appreciation for the UAE's efforts in solving this
problem. The UAE has, indeed, set an example in solving this thorny
issue. However, this impressive effort remains to be publicized by
the foreign mass media because several recent reports, published by
Western media, talked about the link between camel jockeys in the
UAE and the traditional sports activities in the UAE... This
reflects a lack of awareness by many Western media sources of the
actions taken by the UAE to address this problem, which has been
already been resolved in a civilized and humane way."



SISON