KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - BOMBARDMENT OF BEIRUT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002857 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 LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - BOMBARDMENT OF BEIRUT Block Quotes -------------- Sunday, July 16, 2006 -- Editor-in-chief of pro-government Arabic daily Al-Seyassah Ahmed Al-Jarallah remarked on the front page of the newspaper in "Political Fields for Iran and Syria" (7/16): "Sadly, in Lebanon and Palestine, Iran and Syria are contending with the international community, especially the United States. No one is benefiting from this struggle; not the Arabs, not the Lebanese, not the Palestinians. Tehran and Damascus are using these fields to settle their differences with the international community. They do not care for the blood of the innocent who are slaughtered. Nor do they care about the destruction that has set these two countries back a few decades." -- Talal Abdul Karim Al-Arab inquired in progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas under the title "A Roaring South and a Sleeping Golan" (7/16): "Why is the south insanely roaring and the Syrian Golan fast asleep? Many are also asking why did Iran not plant Hezbollah on Syrian soil, especially the occupied Golan, instead of planting it in the south, which was not occupied in the first place? Syrian-Iranian relations, since the bloody revolt against the Shah, have been very close and powerful to an extent that has made it and still makes it threaten Arab interests." -- In progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas, liberal writer Abdul Latif Al-Duaij penned "Time to Free Lebanon" (7/16): "We agree entirely with the Saudi statement on the situation in Lebanon.... Hezbollah fighters hide amongst civilians so they can cry before the world when a child is killed whom they have hidden behind or an old woman whom they have used for a shield; enough misinformation and claims of bravery and Jihad." -- Moderate Arabic daily Al-Rai Al-Aam's columnist Salah Al-Fadly commented in "Praise Your Hands" (7/16): "Despite the heroic role played by the Hezbollah fighters, it is not strange to hear some dissonance that will denounce or have reservations against this honorable stance of Hezbollah. These voices will claim that the balance of power is not in our favor and that the timing is not right and that this operation will affect the tourism season and that Israel will destroy the infrastructure." -- Ali Mohamed Al-Fairouz stated in moderate Arabic daily Al-Rai Al-Aam under the title "An Unwarranted War on Palestine and Lebanon"(7/16): "There cannot be a peaceful settlement between the two sides with Israel's avidity for Palestinian land. Israel takes a savage path towards achieving peace. As it cries over its soldier, the Israeli government should realize that the Palestinian people have the right to live on their soil. Amid such conditions, Israel wakes up and decides to renew its hostile attacks against Lebanon targeting its people and destroying their land." -- In moderate Arabic daily Al-Watan, Ahmed Mohamed Al-Fahd editorialized in "What Has Hezbollah Achieved?" (7/16): "I write about Lebanon to criticize what is called 'The Hezbollah Republic.' This republic has acted foolishly during these already hard times revealing that its leadership did not comprehend the Israeli lesson well. This also demonstrates their willingness to bury all of Lebanon and the Lebanese for them to parade their muscles before the media." -- Abdul Mohsen Mohamed Al-Hussainy noted in moderate Arabic daily Al-Watan under the title "Who is Responsible for Events in Lebanon?" (7/16): "Today, Arabs must more than any other time put an end to irresponsible actions. It is incomprehensible, as the Saudis said, for a single entity to pull the Lebanese government without its agreement or any coordination with the Arab countries to declare war on Israel." -- Kuwait University political science professor, Dr. Shamlan Yousef Al-Issa observed in his pro-government Arabic daily Al-Seyassah piece titled "Farewell to Moderation" (7/16): KUWAIT 00002857 002 OF 002 "It is not fair to blame HAMAS, Hezbollah, Syria or Iran without examining all aspects of the problem. Laying blame is not enough today. What is needed is a mechanism to guarantee the rights of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. The Zionists' war on Lebanon has created a new problem. It has convinced the Arab and Islamic public to support Hezbollah and Palestinian resistance, and to consider them legitimate and a basis for Arab pride." ********************************************* * 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