Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KUWAIT360
2008-04-01 13:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - THE ARAB SUMMIT IN DAMASCUS
how-toVZCZCXRO0086 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHKU #0360/01 0921321 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 011321Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1114 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000360
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 NEA WATCHER
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - THE ARAB SUMMIT IN DAMASCUS
Summary
--------------
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Summary: Following the March 29-30, 2008, Arab Summit in Damascus,
which was attended by Kuwait's Amir, Kuwaiti media commentators
characterized it as a failure. Key no-shows of Arab leaders
highlighted the gap between pro-American and pro-Syrian Arab regimes
and no substantive progress was made addressing key issues such as
Lebanon or Iran. End summary.
Block Quotes:
-- In his daily column in the moderate Arabic daily Al Qabas
Mohammad Musaed Al Saleh criticized the standard of success adopted
by the Arab Summit hosting country(04/01):
"Nine leaders missed the summit in Damascus. However, the summit's
final statement was in fact crafted at the meeting of the Arab
Foreign Ministers, which preceded it. So the absence of those nine
leaders did not affect the outcome. Of course, any host country is
keen to portray the summit as a success, so disagreement was
discouraged. But even if the leaders did disagree amongst
themselves, the public would not know about it. Thus I believe this
summit in Damascus will be just like the previous ones -- a success
on paper that will be forgotten by its leaders as soon as they
arrive back home."
-- An article in the conservative Arabic Daily Al Wasat, Mohamad
Sayed commented on other opinions of the summit (04/01):
"Many analysts think that the Arab Summit in Damascus revealed the
gap between pro-American and pro-Syrian Arab states. It has little
chance of moving forward any solution to the Lebanese crises. One
analyst, for example, wondered, 'What is the point of making
decisions without enforcing them? This confirms that there is near
unanimity among the Arabs that Syria has pushed too far in
manipulating the Lebanese issue. The Egyptian president and the
Saudi representative did not attend the summit believing that Syria
is obstructing any political solution in Lebanon.'"
-- "The Post-Damascus Summit: An Absent Dialogue and Failing
Initiatives" is the headline of a commentary by Waheed Abdel Majeed,
a columnist in the newly established Arabic daily Awan, who said
(04/01):
"The pan-Arabic Regime is not collapsing despite the differences we
witnessed at the Damascus Summit. The differences that emerged in
Damascus were not enough to bring an end to future summits, as some
have predicted. There have been many Arab crises before, which
normally result in conflict. While such eventualities might not
destroy the pan-Arab Regime, it will likely turn some countries into
battlefields for many years."
-- Conservative and member of the Salafi movement Dr. Wael Al Hisawi
sarcastically ridiculed Syrian claims of a successful Arab summit.
In his daily column in the moderate Arab daily Al Rai he said,
(04/01):
"Of the Arab leaders who attended the summit, half were there out of
courtesy and the other half out of fear of embarrassment. The
summit's final resolution consisted of dull statements. Even the
leaders who were present would have had a hard time believing what
it said. According to the Syrians the summit was a success simply
because it took place where and when it was supposed to. May we
have many more such successful summits if success is measured by
these standards!"
-- Under the Headline "The lies of Baghdad and Damascus' Sahhafs,"
Mr. Abdullah Al Hadlaq opined in the conservative Arabic daily Al
Watan (04/01) [Note: The word Sahhaf is used here sarcastically to
refer to the Iraqi Minister of Information during the fall of
Baghdad in 2003.]:
"As expected, the summit of separation in Damascus failed even
before it was held. This in spite of assertions by the Sahhaf of
Damascus to call it the 'Summit of Arab Cooperation.' It was not
just a failure; it was a step backward. President Assad the father
had a relationship of mutual benefit with Iran. However, his son
now has developed the relationship into a submissive one. He has
succumbed to Tehran's wishes and orders."
KUWAIT 00000360 002 OF 002
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
LENDERKING
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 NEA WATCHER
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - THE ARAB SUMMIT IN DAMASCUS
Summary
--------------
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Summary: Following the March 29-30, 2008, Arab Summit in Damascus,
which was attended by Kuwait's Amir, Kuwaiti media commentators
characterized it as a failure. Key no-shows of Arab leaders
highlighted the gap between pro-American and pro-Syrian Arab regimes
and no substantive progress was made addressing key issues such as
Lebanon or Iran. End summary.
Block Quotes:
-- In his daily column in the moderate Arabic daily Al Qabas
Mohammad Musaed Al Saleh criticized the standard of success adopted
by the Arab Summit hosting country(04/01):
"Nine leaders missed the summit in Damascus. However, the summit's
final statement was in fact crafted at the meeting of the Arab
Foreign Ministers, which preceded it. So the absence of those nine
leaders did not affect the outcome. Of course, any host country is
keen to portray the summit as a success, so disagreement was
discouraged. But even if the leaders did disagree amongst
themselves, the public would not know about it. Thus I believe this
summit in Damascus will be just like the previous ones -- a success
on paper that will be forgotten by its leaders as soon as they
arrive back home."
-- An article in the conservative Arabic Daily Al Wasat, Mohamad
Sayed commented on other opinions of the summit (04/01):
"Many analysts think that the Arab Summit in Damascus revealed the
gap between pro-American and pro-Syrian Arab states. It has little
chance of moving forward any solution to the Lebanese crises. One
analyst, for example, wondered, 'What is the point of making
decisions without enforcing them? This confirms that there is near
unanimity among the Arabs that Syria has pushed too far in
manipulating the Lebanese issue. The Egyptian president and the
Saudi representative did not attend the summit believing that Syria
is obstructing any political solution in Lebanon.'"
-- "The Post-Damascus Summit: An Absent Dialogue and Failing
Initiatives" is the headline of a commentary by Waheed Abdel Majeed,
a columnist in the newly established Arabic daily Awan, who said
(04/01):
"The pan-Arabic Regime is not collapsing despite the differences we
witnessed at the Damascus Summit. The differences that emerged in
Damascus were not enough to bring an end to future summits, as some
have predicted. There have been many Arab crises before, which
normally result in conflict. While such eventualities might not
destroy the pan-Arab Regime, it will likely turn some countries into
battlefields for many years."
-- Conservative and member of the Salafi movement Dr. Wael Al Hisawi
sarcastically ridiculed Syrian claims of a successful Arab summit.
In his daily column in the moderate Arab daily Al Rai he said,
(04/01):
"Of the Arab leaders who attended the summit, half were there out of
courtesy and the other half out of fear of embarrassment. The
summit's final resolution consisted of dull statements. Even the
leaders who were present would have had a hard time believing what
it said. According to the Syrians the summit was a success simply
because it took place where and when it was supposed to. May we
have many more such successful summits if success is measured by
these standards!"
-- Under the Headline "The lies of Baghdad and Damascus' Sahhafs,"
Mr. Abdullah Al Hadlaq opined in the conservative Arabic daily Al
Watan (04/01) [Note: The word Sahhaf is used here sarcastically to
refer to the Iraqi Minister of Information during the fall of
Baghdad in 2003.]:
"As expected, the summit of separation in Damascus failed even
before it was held. This in spite of assertions by the Sahhaf of
Damascus to call it the 'Summit of Arab Cooperation.' It was not
just a failure; it was a step backward. President Assad the father
had a relationship of mutual benefit with Iran. However, his son
now has developed the relationship into a submissive one. He has
succumbed to Tehran's wishes and orders."
KUWAIT 00000360 002 OF 002
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
LENDERKING