MEDIA REACTION: SECRETARY'S MIDDLE EAST VISIT, NORTH KOREAN

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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: SECRETARY'S MIDDLE EAST VISIT, NORTH KOREAN
NUCLEAR TEST, LACK OF ARAB UNITY


1. SUMMARY: "Oman" columnist alleges that one aim of Secretary
Rice's visit is to divide the Middle East into Arab versus Persian,
Sunni versus Shia; "Al-Watan" notes that North Korea's nuclear test
coincides with the West's "carrot and stick" policy towards Iran. A
columnist in "Al-Watan" calls for a united Arab stance against
Israel. Dailies give front page coverage to Secretary Rice's Middle
East tour. END SUMMARY.

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COVERAGE
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2. Dailies front-paged Secretary Rice's Middle East tour, her calls
for implementing the Quartet's agenda in Israel-Palestine, and her
visit to Iraq.

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BLOCK QUOTES: SKEPTICISM OVER SECRETARY'S VISIT
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3. On October 7, a columnist in state-owned daily "Oman"
(circulation 38,000) wrote about "Condi's Commodities...and the
Illusions of Bush's Vision":

"U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice toured the region... [She]
called for...a Palestinian government that would respect the
principles of the Quartet. Rice's ostensible reason for the visit
was to listen, but amongst themselves Arabs believed that before her
arrival she had already divided Arabs into two categories: those
who are constructive, and those who are destructive... On a regional
level, Rice brought up the Iranian nuclear threat, forgetting the
obvious and existing danger of Israel's nuclear program. She
repeated the prevailing American-Israeli refrain about how the
region is on its way to becoming two fronts, Sunni versus Shia or
Arab versus Persian. Unfortunately, some of us lend credibility to
that view... The refrain alleges that the so-called constructive
party of Arabs...identify with American and Israeli interests, while
those who are destructive adopt the alternate stance. [The
American-Israeli refrain] reiterates the division between a good and
an evil axis, but this time on a regional basis... The only new
thing that Rice brought to the Arabs was to substitute calls for
moderation for the previous calls for democracy... Condi [nickname
transliterated in the original Arabic] did not visit the region to
listen, or to revive what was once called the Peace Process... She
came only to promote her goods and repeat the same old American
agenda for the region...including some oft-repeated, honey-coated
speeches that merely add illusions to Bush's blurry vision, and his
slogan that lacks any serious content since he articulated a
two-state solution. Not even Bush remembers that slogan, except
when he sees the need to drum up some illusions."

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NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST AND IRAN
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4. On October 7, a columnist in privately owned "Al-Watan"
(circulation 42,000) wrote that "North Korea Imposes its
International Agenda":

"North Korea's announcement of a nuclear test is no accident, at a
time when the West is occupied with Iran through a carrot and stick
policy... [President Bush's] popularity is at an all-time low, and
controversy between Democrats and Republicans is fierce over the
Iraq war and national security issues.... In addition to European
negotiations meant to stop Tehran from enriching uranium, Washington
is threatening to impose international sanctions. Furthermore, the
U.S. has tried to use Rice's tour to mobilize regional states
against Iran and to clarify the consequences of not doing so...
Pyongyang is sending a message to many parties, the most important
of which are Washington and Tokyo."

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ARABS NOT UNITED AGAINST ISRAEL
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5. On October 8, a columnist in "Al Watan" complained about the
lack of a united Arab stance on Israel in an editorial called, "Why
this Divide?"

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her army's presence on
Lebanese beaches is meant to secure Israel's right to exist and
further explained that her country was not neutral and didn't wish

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to be so. Merkel was voicing the united stand of Europe and
America. What are Arabs waiting for? Why don't they adopt a
united stand against Israel and its endless crimes against Arabs?
Continuous Western support for Israel failed to protect it from
material and moral defeat by Hezbollah, a party that is small
compared to Arab military power and that continues to modernize and
develop on the precept that its first enemy is Israel. The Arab
divide on the Israeli issue has widened the gap not only between
Arab governments and their people, but also between political
parties in the same country, as in Lebanon and Palestine...."

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