KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- KUWAITI MEDIA COVERAGE OF VIOLENCE

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SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- KUWAITI MEDIA COVERAGE OF VIOLENCE
IN GAZA

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SUMMARY
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008


1. (U) Summary and Comment. As of Tuesday, December 30, all
Kuwaiti Arabic and English language print dailies continued to
publish headlines and pictures related to the ongoing situation in
Gaza. In addition to the continued front page news updates, a
number of Editors-in-Chief offered editorials on the subject,
championing the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, all harshly
criticize the policies and activities of Israel, but there is also
recollection of Palestinian acquiescence to Iraq's 1990 invasion of
Kuwait and limited criticism of Hamas. Many dailies also took a
local angle to the story, covering with both photographs and
articles the December 28 rally that occurred in front of Kuwait's
Parliament building. The coverage is likely to continue to dominate
the front pages and editorial sections of Kuwaiti's print dailies
until the current round of violence in Gaza wanes or ceases. End
Summary and Comment.


2. (U) Block quotes

-- Under the headline 'Gaza and Martin Neimoller,' liberal Shi'ite
columnist Ahmmed Al-Sarraf editorialized in the moderate Arabic
daily the Al-Qabas (12/30): "In response to the request by the
Chief of the Political Bureau of Hamas asking Kuwaitis to help
Palestinian victims in Gaza, I can't help but wonder where these
Palestinians and specially people in Gaza were when Kuwait was
attacked and robbed by the toppled barbarian Iraqi regime? Did they
not cheer for the Iraqi invaders when they roamed the streets of
Kuwait and applauded their incursion of Kuwait? Did they not gloat
when Iraqi tanks demolished Kuwaiti homes, and destroyed our
institutions? But I guess people have a short memory! However, in
spite of all that I cannot respond today to their reactions then in
the same way. My patriotic beliefs oblige me to give whatever I can
from my money, and do whatever I can to help them. Not because I
fear what the future would bring, but because if I do not stand by
them I would be betraying my own convictions."

-- Conservative Arabic daily the Al-Watan published an editorial by
Nabeel Al-Awadhi where he outlined ten measures that Arab leaders
must take in reaction to Gaza (12/30): "Palestinian blood will not
go to waste: this crime will not be like previous ones. Many
things will change in the Islamic-Zionist struggle. The changes
must be equal to the size of the crime; otherwise we ought to be a
dead [Arab] nation." Mr. Al-Awadhi then lists his ten suggested
measures, which are summarized as follows: "Israel claims that some
Arab leaders gave it the green light to attack Gaza; I have no
doubts that this could be true, but when the identity of these
leaders is revealed they should be hit by a shoe. Our governments
must be questioned about the amount of money they have spent in the
past years on arm deals, and weapons that are supposedly purchased
to defend Arabs against the enemy. They should check the expiration
dates of these weapons as they rot in the warehouses, instead of
being put to use. Dr. Awad Al-Qarni gave a Fatwa (Islamic verdict)
that allows for hitting any Israeli target wherever it might be; I
commend you Dr. Qarni on this Fatwa. Any Arab or Muslim state that
still maintains diplomatic relations with Israel should be
considered a traitor."

--Editor-in-Chief of Al-Seyassah, a pro-government Arabic daily,
Ahmmed Jarallah, opined on the first page of his newspaper (12/30):
"Hamas has rejected offers from Arab countries to provide treatment
to injured Palestinians. It seems that Hamas is asking Egypt to
cancel its agreements with the international community, and Saudi
Arabia to send its troops to support the group, and Kuwait to send
its wealth to Khaled Meshaal -- the Hamas leader. We are facing a
small group that is firing at their own people and wants to spread
this fire to the Arab world. We should stop this group and
everybody should have a sense of reality to retain our power. Some
people distorted our Islamic beliefs, our Arab identity, and our
understanding of world events. We do not have to exaggerate. We have
seen pools of Palestinian blood due to the random shooting of
rockets."

Carrying the headline 'If Something Must Be Said,' daily columnist
and publisher Ahmed Deyain wrote in the fist page of the daily Alam
Alyawm (12/30): "The ugly carnage that Zionists are executing in
Gaza amidst international collaboration, obvious American support,
equal Arab cowardliness, and intra-Palestinian divisions, in
addition to the failure of any peace process initiatives, have put
the Palestinian cause in its true framework. Simply, it is a

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struggle for the liberation of a nation from Israeli aggression. At
the same time, what happens now in Gaza, and what happened earlier
in Lebanon reconfirms once again that the basis of all struggles in
our region is the struggle between the will of the resistance
movements and the Israeli attempts, and those who support them, to
break this will and weaken Arab resilience. The aim is to force the
Arabs to kneel down, and surrender to the might of an occupying
power."


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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/
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