SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000509 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: IIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH ¶1. SUMMARY: A UAE columnist in "Al-Ittihad" expects the Arab summit to end up being a waste of time because he believed Arabs are impotent and unable to confront existing challenges and threats. The editorial in "Al-Khaleej" wonders why the U.S. and Israel ignored the Arabs' peace initiative five years ago, but now suddenly started talking about it, provided that Arabs eliminate the right of return. The editorial in "Al-Bayan" views Rice's statement stressing that the 'Arabs' need to help form a Palestinian state as incorrect because she should have stressed the Israelis and not the Arabs. A columnist in "Al-Bayan" urged Arab officials to put the Palestinian refugees of 1948 as its top priority during the Arab Summit. End Summary. ¶2. Under the headline "The Summit and the cloud", a UAE columnist, Dr. Tareq Saif, wrote 03/25 in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): "Arabs should admit they are impotent against the existing challenges and threats. They rely on postponements to escape from confrontations... It is an attribute in the Arab countries not to agree among themselves... If the Arab countries are ravaged with clouds of disagreement, and have lost direction amid cloudy regional and global changes, then how do they expect to have the will, the ability and the means to resolve other issues when they can't even reach effective solutions to their own problems and issues?" ¶3. Under the headline "US efforts lacking credibility", Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) editorialized on 03/26: "Five years ago, when the Arabs in Beirut agreed to have a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, the U.S. and Israel ignored it... Suddenly Washington has started getting enthusiastic about it, urging the Arabs to reactivate it. Israel has also started to consider the initiative, provided that Arabs eliminate the right of return. Why this sudden wake-up? The truth is that the current American Administration cannot be trusted, particularly on the Arab -Israeli issues, as it never implements any of its promises... If the United States is serious about reaching an Arab-Israeli settlement... the U.S. should commit "Israel" to abide by this initiative. Otherwise, American efforts will be a waste of time whose main objective is to ensure the normalization and elimination of the Palestinian issue." ¶4. The 03/26 editorial titled "Valid claims from an invalid party" in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan," (circulation 85,000) read: "When Rice left Washington to start her tour in the region, she made a statement in which she said: "Attempts must be made to determine what the initial stages of the reconciliation can present. Those attempts should be made on the side of Arabs in order to establish a Palestinian state. The content of Rice's claims is valid. However, the addressee is wrong. It seems that the Secretary missed it, because it is Israel that should be pressured to make attempts and not the Arabs. Leaks or rumors which have accompanied Rice's visit say that Washington carries a plan to market its plans and put them into practice... If that is what the Bush administration is seeking, then the Arab summit will start tomorrow; and the initiative is likely to be one of the major items on the agenda. This will be the moment of response on the part of Israel. This is the addressee whom Washington should makes demands of." ¶5. Under the headline "Refugees first", a columnist, Basil Abu Hamda, wrote a 03/26 op-ed in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan," (circulation 85,000): "It seems that the largest player in the upcoming Arab summit is the Hebrew state. That is clear from the preparations and diplomatic rounds undertaken by the American administration on behalf of Israel as a prelude to convening this summit. The summit's cause is the right of return for Palestinian refugees... It is an issue of priorities that must be handled in a quiet and scientific atmosphere away from the effects of the Western influence and its media machine which... keep focusing on amending the Beirut Arab initiative... ABU DHABI 00000509 002 OF 002 For those who are still deluding themselves that they are playing outside the circle of danger, we say that waiving the right of return will not be the only in a series of concessions as long as Arabs continue to deal with their issues in this shameful manner." SISON