SAUDI MEDIA ON EVE OF THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT

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SIPDIS

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SUBJECT: SAUDI MEDIA ON EVE OF THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT



1. Saudi Arabia's media has hailed the President's historic
visit to the Middle East and has watched with great interest
the first two legs of the trip. Editor-in-Chief of
influential newspaper Al-Riyadh welcomed the President's
views about the Kingdom stating "the friendship and
cooperation between the U.S. and the Kingdom is the oldest
friendship in the Middle East region." Crown Prince Sultan
stated that the President's visit will be good for Muslims
and Arabs, and all major dailies emphasized that the
President's visit is a gesture of respect and a confirmation
of their deep friendship. Most editorialists have adopted a
wait and see attitude towards the President's push on the
peace process during his tour of the region.


2. Coverage of the President's meetings with Israeli and
Palestinian leaders has focused on the President's clear
pronouncements on an expected comprehensive peace agreement
by the end of this year. Sample headlines include: Al-Watan
(January 11) Bush: No Wall and No Checkpoints in a New
Palestinian State; Al-Jezirah (January 11) Bush: I Will
Intervene (and strongly) for an Israeli-Palestinian Agreement
to be Concluded by the End of Year; Al-Sharq Al-Awsat
(January 11) Bush Expects an Agreement This Year and the
Establishment of a Palestinian State Not Like "Swiss Cheese";
Al-Hayat (January 11) Bush Proposes an International
Mechanism for Compensating the Refugees, and Calls on the
Arabs to Extend a Hand to Israel. Coverage focused largely
on the President's call "to end the Israeli occupation of
lands captured in the 1967 war." News commentators
emphasized the unique clarity of this statement, and
underscored that President Bush was the first American
president to call for the creation of a Palestinian state.


3. As the President moved to the Gulf region, media focus
shifted eastward as well to Iran. All papers headlined the
President's discussion with the Kuwaiti Amir Sabah Al-Ahmad
on the Iranian nuclear file and Kuwait's refusal to
participate in a strike on Iran (Al-Riyadh January 12).
Al-Hayat's (January 12) coverage also highlighted ongoing
discussions between the U.S. and Kuwait on the threats facing
the Gulf from the problem of extremism funded by Tehran. Some
editors expressed reservations about Arab involvement in what
they perceive as the "coming Iranian confrontation with the
U.S.," stating that, "Arabs cannot be reserve allies for the
U.S. against Iran," (Al-Riyadh, January 9). Foreign Minister
Saud Al-Faisal's press conference January 9 and his statement
calling on all Gulf countries, including Iran, to exercise
self-restraint following the U.S.-Iranian naval incident in
the Strait of Hormuz were widely covered.


4. The President's visit has spurred political analysts to
reflect on Saudi Arabia's pivotal role on the breadth of the
region's issues. An Al-Watan editorial (January 12)
reaffirmed "that Saudi Arabia is an essential axis for any
political movement in the region." It hailed President Bush
as the first who realized Saudi Arabia's importance and
stated that the Bush Administration will soon realize that
King Abdullah's initiative, which has been adopted by the
Arab States, is the best basis for a lasting and
comprehensive peace in the region. Other Saudi editorialists
debated the wisdom of lending Saudi leadership to U.S. goals
for the region. Optimists hope that President Bush's visit
will act as an investment in arriving at the political
concessions needed for progress on the peace process. Others
wondered if Washington's view of the region was too far from
the view of Arab capitals on the path to reaching regional
stability in all its aspects. (Al-Okaz, January 12).
FRAKER