MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL-LEBANESE CONFLICT; OMANI LABOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 001122 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI, AND INR/R/MR STATE PASS USTR FOR N. MOORJANI, J. BUNTIN LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL-LEBANESE CONFLICT; OMANI LABOR LAW REFORM REF: MUSCAT 1117 ¶1. SUMMARY: Omani press decries "Israeli aggression." Private "Al-Watan" daily laments "Arab silence." The state-owned "Oman" deems Hezbollah to be conducting "legitimate resistance." In online discussion, participants applaud Oman's new labor law, even if "American pressure" is behind it, and call on Omani officials for more transparency. END SUMMARY. -------------- COVERAGE -------------- ¶2. As noted in reftel, Omani coverage of the strife between Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinians initially front-paged graphic images of bloodied civilians and destroyed infrastructure, with coverage generally moderating from Saturday, July 15. However, the intensification of Israeli strikes in Lebanon has meant a concomitant renewal of prominent coverage of the violence. A steady stream of editorials critical of the U.S. and Israel has appeared. Excerpts from some of these are below, including more extensive block quotes from the editorials cited in reftel. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: SELF-DEFENSE OR TERRORISM? -------------- ¶3. "Al Watan" (privately owned daily, circulation 42,000) queried "Self Defense or Terrorism?" in a July 12 article by Omani writer Khamis Habib Attoubi: "If the capture of a murderous soldier justifies the devastation of complete towns, displacing people and depriving them of their most basic human rights under the pretext of self defense - as the White House and its disciples allege - would it also be lawful for Russia to launch its intercontinental missiles against Iraqi towns in retaliation for the killing of four of its diplomats in Iraq by a group of terrorists? Would Russian fighters violate American sovereignty as Israeli fighters violated that of Syria? Just as the Russian President ordered his intelligence units to pursue the criminals, the Israeli entity should have found means other than organized terrorism to free its soldier, especially since the conditions that the captors set for the soldier's release are easy and within the reach of the Israelis. However, the matter is about far more than the release of a soldier. In fact, Israel intends to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and topple the Hamas government... Meanwhile, the Chairman of Hamas Political Bureau Khalid Mashal threw the ball in Israel's court when he announced that the release of the Israeli soldier should coincide with the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, and that the life of the captured soldier should be preserved. This is the touchstone for divining Israel's intentions toward the Palestinians: will they accept or reject the initiative? The union of Palestinian groups in the face of Israeli terrorism is a good sign, although it is accompanied by Arab silence and international collusion. These groups must put away the differences between them, which threaten to undermine the Palestinian cause and remove it from the international agenda." -------------- "LEGITIMATE RESISTANCE" -------------- ¶4. Government-owned "Oman" (circulation 38,000) published a July 14 editorial entitled "The Legitimate Resistance and the All- Encompassing War": "The Israeli aggression against Lebanon continues with the concentration of the air and artillery bombardment on the civilian infrastructure, with the bombardment of Beirut airport and power and water stations and the killing of civilians in the framework of tyrannical aggression. The Israeli entity is accustomed to this and carries it out with U.S. support, as expected. The Lebanese resistance is legally legitmate in defense of a part of Lebanese territory, in light of international resolutions that consider it a part of Lebanon that remains occupied. U.S. remarks against Syria might lead to a widening of the confrontation, and an all-encompassing war could happen in the Middle East... The U.N. should fulfill its special role and make clear that the aggression against Lebanon is not justified, and that the question of prisoner exchange can be negotiated politically instead of bombing Lebanese villages and cities, in addition to Israel's killing and destruction of the Palestinian people... Indeed, Israel's aggression comes in the framework of U.S. support. There is no justification for this support under the shadow of the rising tension in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this American policy does not help to create a climate of peace in the Middle East." -------------- DANGER OF A REGIONAL "EXPLOSION" -------------- ¶5. On July 14, "Al Watan" worried that "Israel's Escalation Threatens to Ignite the Region": "The grave Israeli escalation that appears in the sea, air, and land siege imposed on Lebanon and the devastation of the infrastructure by the continuous air raids, particularly Beirut airport, along with the targeting of civilians, is a continuation of the barbaric aggression in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The clear and confirmed goal of this aggression is to subject the whole area to a settlement tailored to Israeli standards and specifications... This latest escalation indicates the deterioration of the situation in the region, which could explode and drag other parties into the conflict, endangering the Middle East peace process and global peace as well. The possibility of this explosion is especially strong given Israel's mistaken understanding of the concept of security... What increases the possibility of the situation's explosion is the international powers' stance towards this issue, which is considered by the United States of America as Israel's 'legitimate self-defense.' By adopting this stand, the U.S. is setting an unlawful precedent in international relations that supports the killing of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure in the name of self- defense. This is in addition to the stand of the United Nations Security Council, as expressed in one of its famous resolutions that calls for the disarmament of the Palestinian and Lebanese militants, and helps the killer and usurper at the expense of the victims who have lost their lands and their rights... For the reasons above, all parties should exercise their responsibility towards this risky escalation." -------------- ISRAEL'S "LICENSE TO KILL" -------------- ¶6. The English-language, privately owned "Oman Tribune" (circulation 8,000) ran a July 15 editorial entitled "License to Kill": "The Israelis now have the licesse [sic] to kill. The US veto of the resolution in the United Nations Security Council urging Israel to end its attacks in Gaza sends a clear message to Israel: Continue the offensive without any restraint against the Palestinians, kill their men women, children and destroy all facilities that will be of use to them. And the Israelis are doing just that without any qualms, as they are certain that the whole world will not go any farther than condemning them and appealing for restraint. The American position is beyond logic. It is true that they are bankrolling Israel, but this does not mean that they should countenance Israel's murderous acts, first in Gaza and now in Lebanon on which President George W. Bush said: 'Israel has the right to defend itself.' The question now is, defend against whom? After all these years, why don't the Americans and other western powers recognise the fact that Israel is the aggressor?" -------------- ISRAEL'S "WANTON DESTRUCTION" -------------- ¶6. On July 16, the English-language, privately owned "Times of Oman" (circulation 25,000) published a commentary by editor-in- chief Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali entitled "Zionist State an Epidemic in the Heart of Arab Nation": "Ever since the Jewish state came into being in 1948, it has been engaged in merciless killings and wanton destruction. No sooner does one campaign of massacres stop than another starts. It appears that Israel cannot survive unless it commits massacres and sees the blood of innocents splattered around. Israel is, without doubt, addicted to such heinous practices on a daily basis, backed as it is by the silence of the international community and support of the US administration... A close reading of history reveals that Israel has a criminal record, perhaps worst for any country. Israel, therefore, is the biggest criminal in the history of humankind. The victims in Palestine and Lebanon are clear evidence that it continues to perpetrate its crimes in cold blood... In a clear show of positive support to Israel, the US has been pumping funds and arms into Israel so it can pulverise the Arabs at will... The world must either put an end to the savage practices of Israel or provide the Palestinians with advanced weapons similar to those possessed by Israel. Furthermore, the US has to cease backing the Israelis for a balanced confrontation." -------------- -------------- ONLINE: LABOR LAWS SUPPORTED DESPITE "AMERICAN PRESSURE" -------------- -------------- ¶7. On July 16, participants in Oman's largest online discussion forum, Al-Sablah, discussed recent changes to the Sultanate's labor laws, in terms sufficiently strong that site administrators soon pulled the topic. Before they did so, 90 people had responded; approximately 70 percent supported the changes, though they believed these had resulted from "American pressure." Most responses criticized the Omani government's alleged lack of transparency and responsiveness regarding labor laws. One respondent wrote that "all of us have been very optimistic about the Royal Decree that amends the Labor Law, permitting labor unions and strikes. Though all of us hope that these changes are originating from the Omani will, we know very well that American pressure has been behind them. Even so, it is rational to support these reforms when they concern us as Omani citizens, and affect us positively. Rejecting any American proposals regarding reform just because they are initiated by America is irrational... We have frequently asked the officials and the Omani Government through Al-Sablah to allow unions and free speech, though our requests have been futile. Therefore, even if the American voice is the only one that gets through to officials, we should support this voice... Suppression of freedom of speech continues to prevail, and the press is still monopolized. Public participation in decision-making is still prohibited, and applicable laws continue to fluctuate between implementation and suspension." ¶8. Another Al-Sablah participant wrote that "when the Minister of Commerce and Industry announces to [a local paper] that the Sultanate of Oman is looking forward to signing a free trade agreement with the U.S., he hopes that the majority of the U.S. Congressmen will vote in favor of this agreement, as the Sultanate of Oman has already answered all the American inquiries regarding its labor policies. Though His Excellency the Minister has answered the American questions, would he be so kind as to answer our questions as well, or would he consider us of less importance than the Congress? ... Would the government also allow the formation of other unions for journalists, writers and lawyers? Would the government permit freedom of speech, and allow members of the Shura Council to express their opinions freely? These questions are posed by the Omani Congress (Omani public opinion) and require answers from His Excellency the Minister." GRAPPO