KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - PALESTINE, IRAN, AND TERROR

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000933 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA LONDON FOR TSOU PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - PALESTINE, IRAN, AND TERROR Block Quotes -------------- Sunday, June 17, 2007 -- Liberal Mohammed Musaed Al-Saleh sarcastically wrote in progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas under the title "Fatah's Palestinian Occupation" (06/17): "We congratulate the Hamas movement on its victory against Fatah and its expulsion of the Palestinian occupier from the state of Gaza. The liberated Gazan state will no doubt become a center for sisterly Islamic movements such as the Taliban, Fatah Al-Islam and others including the Somali Islamic Courts, Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Salafis." -- Conservative Islamist MP Khdhair Al-Enezi commented in progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas under the title "Brothers Fighting" (06/17): "What is happening in Gaza now is indeed tragic and serves only to the enemies of the Palestinian people. It also chips away at the Palestinian people's just struggle to regain their rights." -- Under the title "Iran Has Gone Bald" Bader Al-Bahar wrote in progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas (06/13): "Our Kuwaiti brothers who are pro-Iran should now publicly change their positions after Shamkhani's statements [that Iran would target bases anywhere in the Gulf from which attacks on Iran are conducted]. These remarks are a flagrant threat to kill the people of the Gulf." -- In conservative Arabic daily Al-Watan Mfarrej Al-Dosari argued under the title "The Persian Octopus Spreads Destruction over Earth" (06/17): "Iran is but an ambitious racist state seeking with all its might to restore past Persian glory. Its only concern is to threaten the security of Arab states and to sow strife among Muslims." -- "Taliban Is Prospering in Kuwait" was the title under which Dr. Balqees Al-Najjar inquired in progressive Arabic daily Al-Qabas (06/17): "When will the Kuwaiti authorities begin to monitor and count the number of citizens that go to Afghanistan and the number of youths who fall prey to extremism? When will they take deterrent action against those who seek to endanger Kuwait and its youth? For how long will the Taliban and its supporters control and interfere in our daily lives?" ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * LEBARON