SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: AMERICA AND IRAN

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RRU-NEA
IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: AMERICA AND IRAN


1. SUMMARY: Local media perceives an increase in volume and
stridency toward Iran by both Israel and the U.S., though alleged
causes vary: "Al-Ittihad" accuses PM Ehud Olmert of rattling sabers
to divert attention from corruption charges; "Gulf News" suggests
that Israel wants to push a confrontation now, fearing that a
Democratic President would give them less leeway. "Akhbar Al-Arab"
suggests that Israel and the U.S. have jointly decided to raise
tensions. Some voices note that Israeli and U.S. actions and
intentions aside, Iran is less than fully trustworthy and Arab
states are not sufficiently organized or vocal in making their
voices and opinions heard. End summary.



2. Under the headline "Striking Iran to save Olmert ", Egyptian
professor Dr. Ibrahim Al-Bahrawi, wrote 06/08 in Abu Dhabi-based
Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000):

"Olmert sees, in the Iranian nuclear issue, salvation from the
political quagmire of his corruption. He believes that if he
appears to save America and Israel from an Iranian nuclear threat,
American Jews, especially AIPAC, might pardon him."



3. Under the headline "Obama and the region", Kuwaiti professor Dr.
Shamlan Yousef Al-Eissa, wrote 06/08 "Al-Ittihad":

"What is Obama's perspective on the Middle East? The U.S.
commitment to Israel's security will not change, so the Democrat is
no different from the Republican on Israel. Obama's position
regarding Iran is less clear; at the start of his election campaign
he called for...negotiating with Iranian leaders on many
controversial issues; after securing his party's nomination, he [has
called for a more] complicated diplomatic [engagement] with Iranian
leaders based on whether it will further the interests of the United
States."



4. Under the headline "Peace is indivisible", the 06/08 editorial
in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic daily "Akhbar Al-Arab" (circulation
20,000) read:

"It seems that peace in Washington has died after Olmert concluded
Israeli-American negotiations at the AIPAC conference....
Obviously, the region is preparing for a war.... It is high time
for Arab nations to pressure their governments and stake out their
positions."



5. Under the headline "Israel wants to make war while the sun
shines", the 06/08 editorial in Dubai-based English daily Gulf News
(circulation 100,000) read:

"Israel is becoming increasingly aggressive toward Iran. Perhaps
they [are weighing] the possibility of a Democratic President who
has said that there should be talks with Iran, against an incumbent
who has threatened action against Iran, despite being unable to get
[support for this from] any nation other than Israel."



6. Under the headline "Arab-Iranian talks", a UAE writer Mohammed
Al-Hammadi, wrote 06/11 "Al-Ittihad":

"Before engaging in Arab-Iranian talks, we need inter-Arab talks to
sort out Arab issues and challenges. It would be a great historic
achievement for the Arab League to bring Tehran into talks with Arab
countries, but this will be as difficult as holding Arab-Israeli
talks. Why? Because the counterpart [Iran] is never ready to talk
about peace."



7. Under the headline "Dark Iranian accounts", UAE writer Mohammed
Khalfan Al-Sawafi, wrote 06/11 "Al-Ittihad":

"Iranian political actions sometimes shock us. When they ask us
stand by them against American pressure on Iran, they forget how
much they have been provoking the UAE regarding the three occupied
islands for more than three decades. They call it just a
misunderstanding and refuse to discuss this important issue. Iran

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ought to stop opposing the UAE; its economy would 'breathe' only
through the UAE's lungs if international sanctions were imposed
against Iran. If Iran were to [try to] force the UAE into war, the
UAE would refrain. The Iranians know this, but at the same time
they don't reciprocate the UAE's peaceful and neighborly
relations."

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