OMAN MEDIA REACTION: Ongoing Trafficking Coverage

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000454

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI, INR/R/MR, NEA/SA/EX/PMO
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR NEA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA REACTION: Ongoing Trafficking Coverage

REF: Muscat 444


1. SUMMARY: Negative coverage of the TIP report continued to
dominate news articles, editorials, and commentaries through the
weekend and into Monday. After recent statements to the press from
the Majlis A'Shura (reftel Muscat 444) and other government
officials, Foreign Ministry Secretary General Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi
spoke to private Arabic daily "Az Zamman" stating that Oman "expects
a response". Private Arabic daily "Al Watan" ran a piece claiming a
"diplomatic source" said "the State Department intends to revise and
review the report". "Al Watan" continued almost daily commentaries
repeating common anti-U.S. accusations. END SUMMARY.

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Sayyid Badr: "We do expect a response on this issue"
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2. On June 16, private Arabic daily "Az Zamman" ran an exclusive
statement by Sayyid Badr, his second statement to the press on TIP,
reaffirming Oman's expectation of a response to the June 9 meeting
with the Ambassador.

"Sayyid Badr stressed that, 'The Sultanate expects a response from
the U.S. Administration after it delivered an official protest
against the U.S. Department of State report placing the Sultanate
among countries that did not exert efforts to combat trafficking in
persons.' In a special statement to "Az Zamman", Sayyid Badr
remarked that, 'they certainly expressed interest and we do expect a
response on this issue. That is what we hope to get from a friendly
country.' Replying to a question on the impact of what had happened
on the bilateral relations, the Secretary General of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said, 'We hope that there will be no adverse impact
on the relations between our two friendly countries, and that has
never been the goal of our protesting. It was rather correcting
information for the public opinion. We always seek realism and
positivism. What happened was a reaction to the false and baseless
report. We have expressed our opinion as it is.'"

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Reporting From the Diplomatic Rumor Mill
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3. On June 16, private Arabic daily "Al Watan" (circulation 42,000)
ran a story based on a statement by a vaguely identified "diplomatic
source" that, "The US Department of State Responds to the
Sultanate's Protest by Reassessing the Report":

"'Al Watan' learned from informed sources that the U.S. Department
of State received the Sultanate's protest with great interest.
According to a diplomatic source, the State Department intends to
reassess and revise the report. The source attributed Washington's
reviewing its position to its desire for a fair evaluation and to
its strategic relationship with the Sultanate. This came amid
widespread state rejection and condemnation on official and public
levels of the report on trafficking in persons, which did not treat
the Sultanate fairly, and disregarded its efforts to combat this
international issue."

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Al Watan Continues its Cause
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4. On June 12, 13, and 15, "Al Watan" continued its string of
commentaries on TIP. As was the case with last year's TIP release,
"Al Watan" leads the press offensive in coverage and negativity of
tone. Below are block quotations:

"Any country that refuses to comply with its [the U.S.'s] policies
is classified as being in violation of international legitimacy or
supportive of terrorism and trafficking in persons."

"The U.S. administration is deliberately sowing seeds of hostility
between its people and...friendly countries with whom Americans have
deep rooted relations, such as Oman. Despite these relations, the
U.S. drafted a slanderous report without any material evidence that
classified the Sultanate among countries that traffic in persons."

"We are a people who cherish and respect the covenants of
international relations and who are committed to the practice of
neutral policies in the context of self-esteem and preservation. We
cannot keep silent on the accusations of the U.S. State Department,
or on its lies and allegations about trafficking in persons."

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ONLINE: "Yes We Traffic" Stokes Ire
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MUSCAT 00000454 002 OF 002




5. Oman's most active online discussion site, Al Sabla
(www.omania2.net),posted strong reaction to the publishing of the
TIP report. One discussion thread, titled "Yes We traffic in
Persons" received 174 comments and 8,627 views, ranking as one of
the most active threads in the forum. 90% of responses defended the
Omani stand on the TIP report, attacking the way the report was
drafted and its lack of evidence.
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