KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND IRAQ

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004469 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 - MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND IRAQ Block Quotes -------------- Saturday, November 18, 2006 -- Kuwait University Political Science Professor, Dr. Abdullah Khalifa Al-Shaijy penned in conservative Arabic daily Al-Watan under the title "The Failure of the Neo-Conservatives and the Winds of Realistic Change" (11/18): "As for American foreign policy, the great change will be the policy adopted by the neo-conservatives who have kidnapped U.S. foreign policy and taken control of it over the past six years." -- Under the title "If America Had Not Appeared" satirical liberal columnist Fuad Al-Hashem inquired in conservative Arabic daily Al-Watan (11/18): "What would have happened had God not created the United States of America? Without the United States, the world will be in chaos and we would not have 'fast food', Caprice cars and Carrier air-conditioning units. Nor would we have Ben Laden or Hezbollah. Thank God, we have the United States in our world. We can abuse it whenever we want without expecting any court cases to be filed against us by the United States. We can tickle the feelings of the Arab mobs by attacking the United States day and night in order to succeed in elections at the same time that we ride in luxurious American cars." -- Titled "W.T.C." Meshari Nashi Al-Adwani's piece in moderate Arabic daily Al-Anbaa stated that (11/18): "We have to raise our hats to the American citizens for electing the first American Muslim to Congress. Regardless of mistakes committed by some of its politicians, America remains the mother of democracy in this world." -- Liberal Salah Al-Sayir inquired in moderate Arabic daily Al-Anbaa under the title "This Is America"(11/18): "Is the great America we know the same America that has failed in realizing its project in backward Iraq . . .? Has history ended, or at has it not begun yet?" -- In pro-government Arabic daily Al-Seyassah and under the title "Al-Maliki Should Leave Iraq Before the Americans" Mohammed Zain inquired (11/18): "Al-Maliki is still claiming that he is head of an elected government. When will he be ashamed of himself and leave Iraq before the American troops depart?" ********************************************* * 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