MEDIA REACTION: US VETO/ABIZAID'S COMMENTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004318 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: US VETO/ABIZAID'S COMMENTS ¶1. Summary: A UAE columnist in "Al-Ittihad" wonders how credible the U.S. is as it stands alone using its veto to defend Israeli crimes. "Al-Khaleej" comments on Abizaid's warnings on a third world war by saying that "stupid" U.S. polices are the biggest threat to world peace and security. "Al-Khaleej" is also critical of the U.S. use of its veto against Arab condemnation of Israel. End Summary. ¶2. A UAE columnist, Rashid Saleh Al-Oraimi, wrote on 11/20 in Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): "...The United Nations General Assembly voted two days ago with an overwhelming majority in favor of a resolution condemning Israel and their vile crime in Beit Hanoun. ...The first notable feature in this UN resolution is the size of its unanimity: All of the countries of the world from all the continents voted in favor of it while the US, Israel, Australia, and four forgotten islands, differed from the way and voted against the resolution. Although General Assembly resolutions are set for moral purposes rather than practical, the issuance of such resolution now, and with such unanimity, sends many political messages. Let us begin by respectively reviewing the parties concerned. This resolution, first and foremost, delivers an explicit message to Israel, saying that that the entire world has become aware of the nature of its terrorist practices as the resolution condemns in clear terms Israel's violations against the simplest requirements of human rights treatment, as dictated by international laws and the values of civilization and humanity. The international resolution also sends the message to the American administration that its unconditional support of Israel costs an exorbitant price. In addition to the erosion of US political and ethical credibility, America's reckless trends encourage extremist violence in the Palestinian territories and pour more oil on the fire in the already volatile Middle East. Like a vicious circle, America ignites fire with one hand while with its other hand alleges efforts to put these fires out. How credible is the US as it stands isolated from the world in a ditch with only Israel and four small islands forgotten in the jungles of the Pacific...?" ¶3. Under the headline "About World War III", Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) wrote in an 11/20 editorial: "When General Abizaid warned of a third world war if the ideology of Muslim extremists is not confronted, he actually was continuing the U.S. administration's campaign again what it calls "Islamic terror" or "Islamic fascism." All of this is done to justify military interventions and waging wars to force states and peoples to accept U.S. dominance and to achieve the neo-conservatives' imperial ambitions. They seem to have not abandoned these ambitions despite the miserable failure of their policies all over the world and in the mid-term congressional elections. There is no force in the whole world that is a threat to world peace and could ignite a third world war except the U.S. with its sponsored country, Israel. Their aggressive policies and strategies, which are based on biblical religious promises, are a burden on humanity and they could lead to holy wars and a clash of civilizations. Concerns about U.S. policies are not limited to the people of the world only, but include an increasing number of former U.S. officials. James Baker sees the neo-conservatives' policies as a threat to U.S. values. Former Secretary Albright describes the current U.S. policy as disastrous and so did the former U.S. national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. Many American writers have also warned of the dangers of the U.S. policies. It is the stupid U.S. policy which is preparing the way for a third world war because this policy is the biggest threat to world peace and security." ¶4. Under the headline "U.S. Veto", Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) wrote a 11/19 editorial: "The United States acts as if it was alone in this world. It wages its wars, disasters and dissensions, relying on its surplus of power and on diabolical plans laid out by the neo-conservatives to control the world without paying any regard to the United Nations, the international legitimacy, or international law. The U.S. does this in order to make their dream of imperial domination a reality ABU DHABI 00004318 002 OF 002 throughout launching wars under various names which are mostly aimed at our Arab and Islamic countries. The "American" veto in the Security Council and the General Assembly's vote against the Arab draft resolution is a new testament to those who do not want to understand that the United States, like Israel, does not want peace in the region nor does it seek to a just and honorable settlement of the Arab and Palestinians issues. All the allegations of the Bush administration's promises to form a Palestinian state are empty talk geared at circumventing every Arab or international effort to reach an acceptable settlement. For once, the Arabs should think about American attitudes and realize how the US administration exploits or fools them when all the rest of world has recognized the reality of this administration and started to reject it." SISON MR 20 Nov 2006 UNCLASSIFIED