SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000528 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: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH ¶1. SUMMARY: The editorial in "Al-Khaleej" wonders about the sudden U.S. interest in the Arab Peace Initiative, five years from it's declaration. The editorial concludes that if the U.S. continues to deceive Arabs and not forcefully stop Israeli terrorism, then the U.S. will simply be wasting its time. The "Al-Bayan" editorial adds that Rice knows that what is required is to pressure Israel and not control the talks. A UAE columnist in "Al-Ittihad" discusses the declaration of King Abdullah who called on Arabs to deal with other nations as peers. He opined that doing so first requires Arabs to agree with each other on all issues and to put their disputes aside when forming their positions and decisions. Another UAE columnist in "Al-Ittihad" deemed this summit the last chance for Arabs to have their words translated into actions. End Summary. ¶2. Under the headline "What is the secret behind US sudden wake-up?", Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) editorialized on 03/28: "The Arab Peace Initiative was drawn five years ago, how come America detects it only now? What is the secret behind this sudden interest on the part of war criminal Ehud Olmert, whose hands are still stained with Palestinian blood? The stalemated Rice must have sat alone and started to think and think and ask herself about the reasons behind her failure to resolve the "conflict" in the region despite the many attempts that have been made over the decades. Suddenly she found the solution, which is to restore confidence between the Arabs and "Israel". How? By having Arabs extend their hands to Israelis, reconciling with them and then acknowledging their existence, all this under the "promise" made by Bush which he did not and will not fulfill... If the U.S. continues to deceive Arabs in this way and not forcefully stop Israeli terrorism or allow the Palestinians to live a decent life in their own land, then the U.S. will simply be wasting its time." ¶3. The 03/28 editorial in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan," (circulation 85,000) read: "Rice knows well that what is required is to pressure Israel and not control the talks. This was the persuasion of American official such as Zbigniew Brzezinski who believed that Tel Aviv will never reach an acceptable settlement without pressure from Washington. If Rice and the U.S. administration are serious in their efforts, they must deal positively with this development as of today." ¶4. Under the headline "Riyadh Declaration: Arab Parity Summit", a UAE columnist, Mohammed Al-Hammadi, wrote a 03/28 op-ed in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): "The declaration of King Abdullah the second called on Arabs to deal with other nations as their peers. The idea of dealing with other countries of the world in parity is what Arabs really need now so as to be able to present their cases. The question, however, is whether the Arab leaders attending the summit agree among themselves on all the issues or at least on most of them. Will they put their disputes aside when they announce their positions and decisions on issues that may decide their destiny? Can they unify their position to become one entity against the international forces? This summit could be historic, if Arabs succeeded in putting the Arab peace initiative into effect and apply it in reality, despite the absence of some Arab leaders. ¶5. Under the headline "The last-chance Summit", UAE columnist, Dr. Mohd. Khalfan Al-Sawafi wrote 03/28 in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad": "This summit is the last chance for Arabs to have their words translated into actions and implement new decisions. This summit is different from all of its precedents as current problems, challenges and players are different." ¶6. Under the headline "Summit's Expectations: The essence of success and failure", Egyptian columnist Muhammad Al-Saeed Idrees, wrote a 03/28 op-ed in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad": ABU DHABI 00000528 002 OF 002 "If the summit fails to find solutions for the majority of the Arab crises then it will leave all of its issues in the hands of the international system, which means the imposition of unjust decisions on the Arabs." ¶7. Under the headline "Rice's codes", columnist Ahmad Amorabai wrote a 03/28 op-ed in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan: "Rice's codes do not take a lot of effort to decipher. The word "reconciliation" with Israel actually means the unconditional Arab recognition of Israel. All American political fundamentals are actually Israeli ones... Each trip Rice takes to the region and the statements she makes only show how much she ridicules the Arab mind." SISON