Special Media Reaction: Vice President's Visit to Saudi

UNCLAS RIYADH 000508 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; INR/R/MR; INR/NESA; RRU-NEA; NEA/RA; PA WHITE HOUSE FOR OVP PRESS OFFICE; NSC LONDON FOR SREEBNY DUBAI FOR PELLETIER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR PREL OIIP SA SUBJECT: Special Media Reaction: Vice President's Visit to Saudi Arabia ¶1. Vice President Cheney's visit generated editorial commentary that coupled oil prices with the weak U.S. dollar and urged progress on the Middle East Peace Process. Four local op-eds appeared in the local press in addition to factual reporting in all papers. ¶2. Local Commentary Oil prices and the weak U.S. dollar: - Mainstream high-circulation daily Al-Jazira's March 22 commentary entitled "Who Raised the Oil Prices!" stated, "The price of an oil barrel is now less than its real value a year ago because it is pegged to a weak currency. The Americans are mainly responsible for this weakness due to the deterioration of their economy... Mr. Vice President should pay attention to correct his country's currency, which has caused a disaster for both oil producers and consumers." - Limited circulation daily newspaper Al-Bilad's March 22 editorial entitled "Oil Production Increase Is Not a Solution," stated, "An oil production increase will not bring stability to oil markets; the U.S. must consider its monetary policy... Any increase in oil production will not benefit the economies of oil producing countries... Moreover, it will not help restore the stability of economies affected by a weakened dollar." Middle East Peace: - Al-Madina editorialized March 24, "King Abdullah urged Cheney to put pressure on Israel to conclude a peace agreement before the end of President Bush's term in January 2009. His request matches the Annapolis Conference Resolutions, sponsored by the U.S. It is natural for Washington to commit itself to those resolutions and to work towards realizing them on the ground by exercising real pressure on Israel to force it to implement its peace agreements with the Palestinians." - Al-Watan's March 24 editorial stated "The U.S. Vice President understands very well Israel is an expansionary state which was created by raping the lands of others. It began in a part of Palestine, then became all of Palestine, and extended to the Sinai, the Golan, and southern Lebanon... This security [of Israel] will not be achieved and peace will be an illusion with the expansionary settlement policies, building of barriers, and arrests." ¶3. Selected Headlines - March 22, Al-Riyadh: "During his meeting with the U.S. Vice President at his Jenadriya farm, King Abdullah conveyed his displeasure with the slow American peace effort" - March 22, Al-Jazira: "King Abdullah presented the U.S. Vice President with the King Abdulaziz Sash. They discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in the interests of both countries." Fraker