MEDIA REACTION: WELCH'S VISIT TO LEBANON/AMNESTY

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RRU-NEA
IIP/G/NEA-SA
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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

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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