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...

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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