MEDIA REACTION: WELCH'S VISIT TO LEBANON/AMNESTY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000868 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: WELCH'S VISIT TO LEBANON/AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S REPORT/WHAT KEEPS THE U.S. AND ARABS APART ¶1. SUMMARY: The unsigned editorial in "Al-Khaleej" comments on the latest Amnesty International report which accuses the U.S. of human rights violations. A columnist in "Al-Khaleej" is critical of David Welch's visit to Lebanon, feeling it is meddling in sovereign Lebanese affairs. A Qatari intellectual in "Al-Ittihad" details what he sees as the issues keeping the U.S. and Arabs apart. End Summary. ¶2. Unsigned editorial under the headline "International policy of fear", in Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) 05/24: "The latest Amnesty International report documents damages and human rights violations by the U.S. The U.S. neoconservatives manipulate an international policy of fear which poses a challenge to prevailing ethics. Some countries (America) take the law in their own hands and attack whomever they consider a threat to their security. This includes keeping innocent air passengers in waiting halls under the pretext that another passenger feels threatened by his presence. The entire world has been living in an oasis of fears. This is the legacy of the neo-conservatives." ¶3. Under the headline "Welch's roadmap", Egyptian columnist, Dr. Mohammed Al-Saeed Idris, wrote 05/24 in "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000): "David Welch visited Beirut last week and met with many officials deliberately excluding the President. His concern was the election of the upcoming Lebanese president next fall "without any bargains and outside intervention". His problem is that he does not view his words as intervention in internal Lebanese affairs; an assumption that characterizes America's foreign policy under Bush. He believes firmly that the U.S. is an integral party to all problems, while others are foreigners, intruders and obstructers of justice... Welch gave himself the right to define the terms of electing the Lebanese president without seeing it as an intervention in sovereign Lebanese affairs. His problem is that he believes he can impose whatever he wants, overturning all constitutional terms, unaware of the consequences of failure that will conclude his efforts and promises." ¶4. Under the headline "Us and America... confronting what keeps us apart", a Qatari intellectual, Dr. Ahmed Abdul-Malek, wrote 05/24 in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): "Martin Indyke said in Qatar few weeks ago that the Muslim world's differences with America stem from important Middle Eastern issues such as Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon. He urged the building of bridges between the two parties. Amre Mousa who was present at the meeting admitted that the U.S. is qualified to establish the new World Order because it possesses the elements of supremacy: wealth, power and ideas, but its problem is that it only uses power." "We believe that if the U.S. is serious in tackling the differences with the Muslims it must put all issues on the table for discussion regardless of strategic interests. We believe that the U.S. requires a vital plan that will restore the confidence of new friends with an agenda based on facts: The source of dispute is its bias towards Israel that occupies Arab territories by force in violation of UN resolutions. The U.S. must admit that it made fatal mistakes in Iraq which must be addressed before spreading their negative impact to the entire region. The U.S. must stop dreaming of eliminating the Afghan style of Islam. The U.S. must admit that oil is the wealth of people who own it. It should not make its relations victims to its flow, but support its owners in how to make use of it. The U.S. must realize that the use of force must be accompanied by a clear legal cover; otherwise it will turn into the law of Qe jungle." "The U.S. needs to know that democracy is one package. Its elements must be addressed in full and not selectively for temporary benefits. Even Arab liberals who strongly believed in American ABU DHABI 00000868 002 OF 002 promises of democracy are now saying to themselves that the hells of their regimes are much better than America's heaven, with Iraq as an example. We hope that the U.S. starts healing the rift through a direct and fruitful path that does not eliminate the other party on the table, or speak to it with superiority and arrogance." SISON