Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MUSCAT1561
2006-11-06 10:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION: SADDAM VERDICT, IRAQ VIOLENCE, PALESTINIAN

Tags:  OIIP KPAO KMDR MU 
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VZCZCXRO0334
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #1561/01 3101031
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061031Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7372
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0452
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0344
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001561 

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: SADDAM VERDICT, IRAQ VIOLENCE, PALESTINIAN
GOVERNANCE, AFGHANISTAN OPERATIONS, GULF SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001561

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: SADDAM VERDICT, IRAQ VIOLENCE, PALESTINIAN
GOVERNANCE, AFGHANISTAN OPERATIONS, GULF SECURITY


1. SUMMARY: Government-owned "Oman" says Iraqis can curb violence
if they cooperate against it; Youth-oriented, privately owned
"Al-Shabiba" believes the "civil war" atmosphere in Palestine makes
Hamas and Fatah cooperation unlikely and says that U.S. failure to
heed Afghanistan's history lessons is prompting defeat; a posting on
"Al-Sablah," Oman's largest online discussion forum, said that both
Iran and the U.S. have "evil" intentions toward the Arab Gulf and
that the true loyalty of the Arab Shia is to Iran. All dailies
front-paged news of Saddam Hussein's sentencing on November 6. END
SUMMARY.

--------------
COVERAGE
--------------


2. On Monday, November 6, all dailies front-paged the sentencing of
Saddam Hussein with prominent headlines accompanied by large color
photos; all content was culled from agencies and to date included no
opinion/commentary.


3. The relentless "good news" focus of Omani media was demonstrated
October 31 with prominent, copiously illustrated reports on a
"loyalty march" that was front-paged in all dailies. Oman's ruler
Sultan Qaboos was praised as the leader of the "blessed
renaissance," and in one headline the Arabic term "al-mafdiy"
("dearly beloved"),was used to describe him.

-------------- --------------
BLOCK QUOTES: IRAQI COOPERATION CAN CURB VIOLENCE
-------------- --------------


4. On November 1, government-owned, Arabic language "Oman"
(circulation 38,000) wrote that "Increasing Violence Affects All
Parties":

"The last weeks have witnessed a serious increase in violence, which
was directed toward Iraqi civilians from all parties and sectors in
a desperate bid to push Iraq into the abyss of civil war. However,
the harmony shown by the Iraqi parties that participated in the
recent Mecca convention, combined with the Iraqi government's pledge
to strike all types of aggression, might help curb the violence that
is costing innocent Iraqis their lives and their future. Meanwhile,
as the U.S. vice president pointed out yesterday, if the violence is

expected to last well into the future, then earnest cooperation
between all Iraqi parties is the only way to overcome it...
Restoration of stability to Iraq...would not be impossible if all
parties cooperate to work for it. We hope that the contacts between
these parties lead to positive results that improve the welfare of
Iraq and its people. On the other hand, if violence continues and
spreads, it will harm all parties without exception, including the
multinational forces in Iraq and some other parties outside Iraq and
around it. Therefore, it is very important for all concerned parties
to coordinate with each other to prevent any further deterioration
of the situation."

--------------
PALESTINIAN COMPROMISE UNLIKELY
--------------


5. A columnist in youth-oriented, privately owned Arabic language
"Al-Shabiba" (circulation 20,000) wrote on October 30 that "Fatah
and Hamas Must Step Down in Favor of Technocrats":

"Fatah and Hamas should admit that neither one of them alone, or
even together, can offer a national reconciliation plan that most
Palestinians will accept. This plan would need to be comprehensive.
It is difficult to imagine that it could appear in the current
strained atmosphere, which has the makings of civil war. Fatah's
failure with Oslo is so obvious that it needs no proof. On the
other hand, Hamas's plan to try and meld its 'resistance' with the
Palestinian Authority's agenda has no chance to succeed. Iran's
growing regional influence might be determining Hamas's political
positions. The so-called 'Opposition Arc' comprised of Iran, Syria,
Hezbullah, and Hamas might be encouraging the latter to be more
stalwart in its position, as it envisions that Hezbollah's war
against Israel achieved success and radically altered regional
geopolitics. According to this reading, Hamas insists on exercising
its prerogatives according to its own conditions. However, Hamas
has to answer two questions: first, what would happen if Israel and
Syria reach a peace agreement that returns the Golan Heights to
Syria in an attempt by Israel to break the 'Opposition Arc' in the
middle? And second: what if America and Iran reach a conciliatory

MUSCAT 00001561 002 OF 002


modus operandi in regards to Iran's nuclear issue and its influence
in Iraq?"

--------------
AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY LESSONS
--------------


6. On November 2, a columnist in "Al-Shabiba" wrote about "Early
Defeat in Afghanistan":

"When U.S. President George W. Bush joyfully announced five years
ago that his country was bringing Afghanis from the darkness of the
Taliban to the light of American democracy and civilization, he was
demonstrating his total ignorance of geography and history and of
the rules of the social, cultural, and political transformation in
the lives of peoples and nations. He did not even bother...to
acquaint himself with the nature of the Afghani people and how their
struggle against the Soviets led to the defeat of that superpower
and even to its disintegration... Bush and his NATO allies were not
the only ones who were foolish and arrogant, but the British were
too... Afghans defeated them less than 100 years ago. The British
dominated the Indian subcontinent but failed to subject the Afghans.
Bush's 'spoiled dog,' as his opponents name him in Britain, refused
to heed the warnings of British military leaders and didn't bother
to look at history books to see what happened to his nation during
its previous foray into Afghanistan... Even the commander of Blair's
armed forces in the southern region of Helmand has admitted that the
mission was a failure, when he stated in a message to the BBC on
September 22 that the morale of his soldiers had collapsed.
Meanwhile, on October 18 the chief commander of the British Armed
Forces in Afghanistan spoke about the dilemma that British and NATO
forces find themselves in."

--------------
WESTERN AMBITION, SHIA "LOYALTY"
--------------


7. This week members of "Al-Sablah," Oman's largest online
discussion forum (www.omania.net),dealt with the topic of the U.S.
and Iranian military presence in the Gulf. At time of writing,
2,372 people had viewed the topic, and 104 commented on it. The
response below was representative of the whole:

"We do not favor a Western military presence in the Arab Gulf
states... There is no significant difference between Iran and the
West in this regard, as both of them intend evil for the Arab Gulf.
The West wants these countries under its influence, as does Persian
Iran. It wants to occupy the Gulf Arab States and attach them to
its sovereignty under many pretexts. We all remember the Iranian
marine maneuvers, recently exercised within the territorial waters
of the United Arab Emirates, a matter that prompted UAE to file a
complaint against Iran to the Arab League. All of us are also well
aware of the loyalty of the Shia in the Gulf States to Iran. They
'eat from the same dish' of the Arabs while concealing their evil
intentions. They enjoy the security, stability and safety provided
to them by these countries and they amass abundant wealth, yet their
loyalty remains to Iran. If Iran ordered them at any time to carry
out any military activities, they would never hesitate to carry
those out. Such action is an essential part of their belief. In
fact, their sect prompts them to hate the Arabs, disdain them and
degrade them. They don't even show any respect to the companions of
the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and the mothers of the
believers. Shia loyalty is only to Iran, not to the countries in
which they live. I do not defend America and say that it is a
friend of the Arabs, but I would like to stress that Iran is the
enemy of the Arabs and does not wish any good to them. Therefore,
you have to be aware of this and do not be deceived by Iran's
challenge to America and the West. It would not be a surprise if
Iran occupied the Gulf States with the help of its Shia
collaborators, who hate the Arabs to an unbelievable degree. Iran
has previously occupied three Emirates' islands and refused to hear
any proposals about returning these islands to their mother state.
Now you are applauding Iran for challenging the West, so would you
applaud it when its tanks storm your capitals and towns tomorrow?
Stop this type of thinking, and take this delusion of Iran's
challenge to the West from your minds. Iran is worse than the
Westerners who are present in your countries these days."

GRAPPO