OMAN MEDIA REACTION: GULF IGNORED OVER IRAN ISSUE

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TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA REACTION: GULF IGNORED OVER IRAN ISSUE


1. SUMMARY: Omani press focused this week on the nuclear tensions
between Israel and Iran, pushing TIP further to the background.
Arabic daily "Al Watan" criticized the U.S. administration for
ignoring the Gulf in its Iran strategy. An online discussion forum
asking about Oman's reaction to a potential closing of the Straights
of Hormuz generated interest but few ideas. "Al Watan" ran one
editorial this week on TIP, recognizing its existence worldwide,
providing a definition, and accusing America of exacerbating TIP
through the war on terror. END SUMMARY.

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Gulf States Are Ignored
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2. On July 4, an editorial in privately owned Arabic daily
"Al-Watan" (circulation 42,000) criticized the U.S. administration
for ignoring the Gulf countries over the Iran situation. According
to "The GCC Deserves to be Listened To":

"Israel and the United States are launching contradictory statements
about how to deal with Iran's nuclear situation. Israeli states
that it will attack Iran without American approval, and then
President Bush states that they are going to solve the problem
diplomatically. When America decides on military intervention, it
usually cooperates with its allies including Israel and Europe.
However, when the matter involves the Gulf region, the Gulf States
are ignored. The leaders of the Gulf States have declared more than
once that tension in the region will hamper their efforts to secure
energy resources, but America has continued its military threats.
It seems that it will take supernatural powers to convince
Washington and Tel Aviv not to repeat the tragedies of Iraq."

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Professionals at Human Trafficking
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3. On July 6, "Al-Watan" carried an editorial written by Salim
al-Badi addressing definitions of TIP and accusing the U.S. for
exacerbating the problem. "Human Trafficking" says:

"Trafficking in persons is not a new phenomenon. It is a global
problem that we have known about for a long time; however, the
problem has recently grown, for several reasons. Perhaps the most
important reason is the quick and easy gains obtained by exploiting
individuals. Some powerful countries have become professionals at
human trafficking, disguising the practice under other names such as
fighting terrorism or protecting national security. In order to
understand the true meaning of human trafficking, we have to look to
specialized organizations and institutions. Those organizations
define the term trafficking in persons as the transfer of persons
through violence, deception or coercion to impose labor or slavery
or practices similar to slavery, including the control of freedoms,
times and locations of work or remunerations."

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America Will Not Care if the GCC is Attacked
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4. Oman's most active online discussion site, Al Sabla,
(www.omania2.net) hosted a thread on the threat to close the
Straights of Hormuz. The thread drew 130 responses and 6,231 hits,
making it one of the most active in the forum. "Tehran is
threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz while Muscat is silent.
Gulf States are silent." Quotes from the forum as follows:

"The position of the GCC countries is clear. They will not allow
the use of its bases to attack Iran. They will protect their
economic and national interests."

"America knows that Iran is going to react against any country
supporting them and this is what they want. America wants to divide
Muslim countries. I hope that all GCC countries unite against the
enemies of Islam and Muslims."

"If GCC states support America, Iran will definitely fire back.
America will not care if the GCC is attacked by Iran or not."

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