KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - ZARQAWI'S DEATH AND THE GUANTANAMO

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002295 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PREL PTER PGOV KU TERRORISM SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - ZARQAWI'S DEATH AND THE GUANTANAMO BAY SUICIDES Block Quotes -------------- Wednesday, June 14, 2006 -- Abdul Zahra Al-Rikaby envisioned in the progressive Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas under the title "Post-Zarqawists Iraq" (6/14): "There is no doubt that there are major problems facing the security plan. The American forces are determined to disarm the militias, especially the Mahdi Army and other militias intertwined with the government forces. The government forces are composed mostly of Shiite militiamen, especially those of the Ministry of Interior. This interconnection may be the determining factor in the confrontation between the American forces and the militias. This also will cause some Shiite militias to be forced into the resistance category against their wishes." -- Salah Al-Fadly penned in the moderate Arabic-language daily Al-Rai Al-Aam under the title "Has Al-Zarqawi Really Been Killed?" (6/14): "I am not a supporter of conspiracy theories like most Arabs. Unlike those infatuated with conspiracy theories who thought that Zarqawi was a myth created by the Americans for their own purposes, I knew for sure that he existed because all the evidence pointed to his existence. But, what can one do with those whose minds have been saturated with conspiracy theories who think that everything is an American conspiracy. Despite the fact that America's evils are incalculable, that does not mean that others lack evil. Because of those saturated minds, one will find some who doubt the death of Zarqawi even after seeing photos of his dead body and his family's announcement of his demise while hosting a wake for his 'pure soul.'" -- Dr. Hamad Bin Ibrahim Al-Othman editorialized in the moderate Arabic-language daily Al-Watan under the title "No Gloating and We Do Not Anguish over Zarqawi" (6/14): "....There is no doubt that Zarqawi committed horrendous acts in Iraq of murdering women, children, and Muslim non-combatants with the excuse of adversities between the infidels and the Muslims. This is the work of the devil and not related to adversaries at all. The intention is to murder Muslims, the numbers of casualties among whom are much greater than those of the Americans. For this transgression and misinterpretation of texts, the debasing of its sanctity and the debasing of Muslim blood of the Iraqis, people hated and were repulsed by him." -- Mohamed Yousef Al-Mulaifi argued in the pro-government daily Al-Seyassah under the title "The Mujahidin's Suicide in the Criminals' Jails" (6/14): "A few days ago the stench of a new American scandal was released. The prison guards killed three Mujahidin in the worst jail known throughout history named 'Guantanamo.' Now, after the villains of Guantanamo killed our Mujahidin brothers and falsely claimed that they committed suicide, there is nothing left except for those who have the least amount of faith to comprehend how criminal America has become.... Do you see, noble people of ours, to what extent the level of wantonness with our brains, dignity, and lives has reached with these criminals?" ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * TUELLER