MEDIA REACTION: Ex-Syrian Leader's Comments, Economic

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000010 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, AND INR/R/MR LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP MU SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: Ex-Syrian Leader's Comments, Economic Progress, Errors of History -------------- Ex-Syrian Leader's Comments -------------- ¶1. The privately owned daily "Al-Watan" published an editorial on January 1 under the title "Behind Khadam's Separation": "The former Syrian vice president Abdul Halim Khadam's clashes with fellow Syrian leaders date to former president Hafiz al- Asad's time, but his disputes increased during Bashar's term. What forced Mr. Khadam to come out from his silence and reveal his feelings? Why does his statement occur when the Syrian leadership is facing a ferocious campaign from the United States, and pressures from the Europeans about Lebanon, Iraq and internal issues? Why has he kept silent all this time about what he called facts regarding Syrian/Lebanese relations? Can he deny his responsibility for events in Lebanon, when he handled that portfolio for such a long time? These are some of the questions that need answers." -------------- Economic Progress -------------- ¶2. "Al-Watan" published an editorial on January 2 entitled "Another Chapter of Achievement": "His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has launched another chapter of achievement in Oman by decreeing the country's seventh five-year plan. He also issued another royal decree ratifying the state budget for 2006. The preparation for the new plan went through much analysis and research until the cabinet and the parties contributing to it came up with the final draft. There is no doubt that the national economy has taken giant steps during Oman's 35-year renaissance [since 1970, when Sultan Qaboos took power], which has increased the total domestic revenue and per capita income 23 times." -------------- Errors of History -------------- ¶3. Government-owned daily "Oman" carried an op-ed piece by Omani columnist Abdullah Al-Ulyian on January 2 entitled "About History, Its Transformation and Political Events": "The events and horrible transformations that shook the world and the ideological changes of people are worth noting and taking into consideration, because they are real and have tremendous implications. Who thought that in less than a century Germany would reunify, Russia would disintegrate, Japan would become an economic powerhouse and America would be attacked? All events could not be predicted by analyses because a thinker or a researcher cannot judge beforehand how a certain culture or a society ends up in any given period. America is trying to create a new historical era in the Middle East according to its own vision, goals, and programs without benefiting from historical experiences and their variables. In the past, when countries have imposed force on others and deprived them, they imploded. America's intention to establish a new model for the Middle East starting with Iraq merely speeds up its own demise, based on the model of past tyrants." STEWART