MEDIA REACTION: INTER-PALESTINIAN DIFFERENCES BLAIR

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001125 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; RRU-NEA IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR ERELI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INTER-PALESTINIAN DIFFERENCES BLAIR ISLAMISTS ¶1. SUMMARY: A KUWAITI INTELLECTUAL STRONGLY ATTACKS FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMISTS AND URGES THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO PUT THEM ON TRIAL AS WAR CRIMINALS. ANOTHER COLUMNIST CRITICIZES THE QUARTET DECISION TO APPOINT TONY BLAIR AS MIDDLE EAST ENVOY, DESCRIBING HIM AS THE WRONG MAN IN THE WRONG PLACE. "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL DESCRIBES A DECISION BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SALAM FAYYAD TO STOP THE SALARIES OF ABOUT 23 THOUSAND PALESTINIANS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA, AS IT AMOUNTS TO INDIRECT COMPLICITY WITH ISRAEL AND AMERICA TO STARVE THE PALESTINIANS. INNOCENT PALESTINIANS THEN PAY THE PRICE. END. ¶2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "IS IT EMBARRASSMENT OR FEAR?" A KUWAITI INTELLECTUAL WRITING IN "AL-ITTIHAD" (CIRCULATION 65,000),DR. AHMAD BAGHDADI, WROTE IN HIS WEEKLY COLUMN: "THEY DEMAND AN ISLAMIC STATE FOR WHICH THEY WOULD KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE AND WHEN THEY HAVE IT, THEY END UP HAVING A FRAGILE STATE WITHOUT ANY FOUNDATIONS. THE REASON THESE CRIMINALS PUT ON MASKS, WHEN THEY SHAMELESSLY TALK ABOUT JIHAD, IS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT RESPECT ANY RELIGION. THIS IS EVIDENT WHEN THEY KIDNAP PEOPLE AND KILL THEM WITH BOOBY-TRAPPED CARS. HIDING BEHIND THESE MASKS, MASS KILLINGS AND ROBBERY HAVE WIDELY EXISTED ONLY BY THESE FACTIONS. IT IS A MISTAKE TO LET SUCH CRIMINALS DECIDE THE DESTINY OF PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THEIR SATANIC DESIRES. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER LEADERS OF GROUPS SUCH AS MUSLIM BRETHREN, SALAFIS AND OTHERS AS WAR CRIMINALS AND PUT THEM ON TRIAL. ¶3. UNDER THE HEADLINE "MAKING THEM STRIVE TWICE", SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" (CIRCULATION 95,000): "IF THE EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT OF SALAM FAYYAD WILL NOT PAY SALARIES TO 23 THOUSAND PALESTINIAN STATE SERVANTS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA BECAUSE THEY BELONG TO HAMAS AND THAT THEIR APPOINTMENT WAS ILLEGAL, THE GOVERNMENT IS ENGAGING IN A CAMPAIGN TO BLOCKADE AND STARVE THE STRIP.... IF THIS IS TRUE, IT MEANS THE PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER GAZAI AS PART OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY, BUILDING HIGH WALLS OF HATRED WITH ITS PEOPLE INSTEAD OF ESTABLISHING BRIDGES OF LOVE AND BROTHERHOOD. IN MAKING THE GAZA STRIP STARVE IN COMPLICITY WITH THE AMERICANS AND ISRAELIS, THE POOR PALESTINIANS WILL PAY THE PRICE. ¶4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE OPTION OF THE QUARTET", JAFAR MOHAMMAD AHMAD WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ": "THE APPOINTMENT OF TONY BLAIR AS THE QUARTET ENVOY IS CONTROVERSIAL JUST LIKE THE PERSONALITY OF BLAIR HIMSELF. HIS MISSION WILL ALSO BE CONTROVERSIAL AND SUBJECT TO DOUBTS AND CRITICISM. THE WAR IN IRAQ WAS AND WILL REMAIN A BAD SPOT ON HIS RECORDS AND MAY LEAD HIM ONE DAY TO STAND BEFORE THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL COURT, IF THE EFFORTS OF THE LEGAL LOBBY GROUPS THAT OPPOSED THE WAR IN IRAQ SUCCEED. BLAIR IS NOW FACING A DIFFICULT MISSION FOLLOWING THE WRONG DECISION BY THE QUARTET, WHO PLACED HIM IN THE WRONG PLACE." SISON