KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - 9/11, IRAN, LEBANON, AND DETAINEE

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003635 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 - 9/11, IRAN, LEBANON, AND DETAINEE POLICY Block Quotes -------------- Sunday, September 10, 2006 -- Editor-in-Chief of moderate Arabic daily Al-Rai Al-Aam Jassim Boodai penned on the front page under the title "1+1=11" (9/10): "Terrorists hijacked the religion [Islam], values, and the nation. The Americans nationalized the war on terror and then monopolized it. Without a return to the way things were and without us Arabs and Muslims developing the ability to repel and deal with terrorists, we will remain the prisoners of militants, prisoners of the number 11." -- Political Science professor Dr. Shafiq Nazem Al-Ghabra editorialized under the title "Is War With Iran Possible?" in moderate Arabic daily Al-Rai Al-Aam (9/10): "The Middle East is at risk of exploding again during the next few months or in 2007. Many speculate that the U.S. quagmire in Iraq has Iranian connections. The United States will not be able to exit Iraq without dealing directly with Iran. The United States will find it difficult to accept losing to Iran in Iraq." -- "Najad, Bush, and the Inevitable Struggle" was the title of Fuhaid Al-Hailam's piece in moderate Arabic daily Al-Watan in which he inquired (9/10): "Since we know the religious beliefs of [Iranian President] Najad and Bush and believe that the two men agreed without conspiring and are planning that their final battle will be with us. One is paving the way for the Mahdi's [the Shia'a savior] appearance and the other is paving the way for Jesus's appearance. They both want the destruction of the region and they must have a final battle in order for us to be killed. So what are we doing about this?" -- Under the title "They were all Victorious, So Who Lost?" Salah Montasir commented in progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas (9/10): "The Arab peoples are the victors in this war. They no longer believe their rulers' claims that Israel is an undefeatable power. This gives them the right to take revenge from Israel at any time without their rulers sighting its legendary power for their inaction." -- Ultra right-wing columnist Mohamed Yousef Al-Mulaifi editorialized in pro-government daily Al-Seyassah under the title "This Is Your Master America, Villains" (9/11): "America's malice has stooped down to the most heinous of acts as they stuck an AIDS-infected needle in the arm of a Saudi prisoner in Guantanamo. All news agencies carried this disgraceful report and the American Department of State's response was they are sorry for such an incident and that an investigation is underway... Those who ally with America think that they are vindicated against infidelity, but I doubt that they still believe. The criminals will not stand equal to the believers before God." ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * LEBARON