SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S VISIT TO THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 000072

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; INR/R/MR; INR/NESA, RRU-NEA;
NEA/RA; PA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
LONDON FOR SREEBNY
DUBAI FOR PELLETIER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR PREL OIIP SA
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S VISIT TO THE
MIDDLE EAST


RIYADH 00000072 001.2 OF 003



1. Summary: Saudi print media has focused over the past
week on President Bush's visit to the region and more
specifically on his meetings with the Israeli and Palestinian
leaders and his activities in Riyadh during his January 14-16
stay in the Kingdom. Reports on the President's official
meetings and other activities received widespread coverage
with banner headlines splashed across front pages.
Prominent, well-selected color photos and inside pages filled
with additional detail further supplemented the extensive
coverage. Headlines highlighted regional conflict and
security issues. Major editorial commentary focused on the
Middle East Peace Process, including skeptical viewpoints,
and Iran and the trip's historical context were also
dominant. Energy, Iraq, and visa themes appeared within the
context of the visit, but these issues were additional
themes. End summary.


2. Front page headlines featured regional conflict
resolution and security issues, mainly the Middle East Peace
Process and Gulf security. Key headlines during the visit
include:

January 14, 2008
"Bush: Iran is responsible for terrorism in the region"
(Al-Watan)
"Bush from the UAE: Iran is the leading sponsor of terrorism
in the world" (Al-Watan)
"The U.S.-Saudi summit discussed today Gulf security and the
crises of the region" (Okaz)

January 15, 2008
"King Abdullah and Bush discuss establishment of a
Palestinian state and stability of the region" (Okaz)

January 16, 2008
"The U.S. President warned Iran of provocation and urged for
increase of oil production" (Al-Shark al-Awsat)
"The U.S. looks to the Kingdom's support to revitalize the
delayed peace process" (Okaz)
"King Abdullah and President Bush resume talks on energy and
regional issues" (Al-Riyadh)


3. Editorial commentary focused on Saudi Arabia's role in
advancing peace in the Middle East, the effect of Israeli
security operations on the peace process momentum, Iran and
Gulf security, and a pessimistic outlook that appeared in
some reports and opinion pieces. Finally, but significantly,
a key editorial framed the historic context of this visit in
terms of what it should accomplish to make history. Block
quotes follow.

"The road to peace"
Okaz Arabic daily opined January 16: "It is natural for the
Kingdom to endeavor towards the establishment of a just and
comprehensive peace in the Middle East, so that the bloodshed
of the innocent is stopped and rights are restored to their
rightful owners, guaranteeing a peace that puts out all wars,
nullifies grudges, and turns this hot zone into a land of
peace once more. The Kingdom has been working on this
endeavor for some time now, and namely through the Arab
initiative that was proposed by King Abdullah and supported
by all Arab countries without exception. With that, the
Kingdom and all the Arab counties have set the path towards
peace and have determined its characteristics very
accurately.... Today, President Bush is asking for the
Kingdom's support in reviving the fledgling peace process....
The Kingdom continues and will continue without ceasing to
exert its efforts in favor of this noble goal.

What is required is for the U.S. administration to speed up
the momentum of the peace process on the ground and to
convince the party concerned, namely Israel, to opt for that.
It is not feasible that while the Riyadh summit meeting is
looking to revive the peace process, the Israeli forces
launch heavy attacks on Gaza, killing and injuring many
Palestinians. Is this a conduct that leads to peace? Does
this give a genuine indication of the path that leads to a
settlement and to stability? Or is Israel still thinking
about peace in its very own way? The requirement now is for
Israel to determine its true direction and for the U.S.
administration to put a stop to what is happening on the
ground so that the opportunity does not escape us and we end

RIYADH 00000072 002.2 OF 003


up at square one again."

"Gaza aggression is a message to Bush"
Al-Watan Arabic daily editorialized January 16: "Israel
could have postponed its aggression against Gaza yesterday
until President George Bush left the country.... But Israeli
officials wanted to send an urgent message to President Bush,
mainly telling him that the Annapolis decisions and all that
has been achieved during his talks in occupied Jerusalem and
Ramallah are nothing more than ink on paper, and that, the
final status must happen according to Israel's viewpoint,
which, since the usurpation of Palestine in 1948 to this day,
has not departed from murder and aggression. The fall of the
Palestinian victims yesterday was addressed to and for the
benefit of the American President."

"The emperor's tour"
Editor Jamil Al-Dhiabi in Al-Hayat said January 14: "Bush is
trying during his current tour to convince himself and the
countries of the region of the genuine will and desire to
make changes in the Middle East. He may be serious about
that, but at the end of the day he is not going to do
anything and will not change anything. The only change that
will take place will be in the words, the diplomatic
meanings, and the terminologies, just like when the President
urged Israel to end the 'occupation,' which is the first time
that the U.S. administration uses the word 'occupation' in
describing Israel's control on territories it occupied in the
1967 war. The people of the region do not want new
terminology, but concrete and core change that alters the
tragic scene.... Will Bush be able to change the tragic
scene and grim atmosphere before the end of his term? Of
course not, and he will definitely leave the White House just
as he came in the first time. This is just a promotional
presidential tour in the mentality of the emperor who rules
the world, even if the headlines and declared objectives are
different."

"Bush's tour: Is it about Iran or peace?"
Al-Riyadh Arabic daily editorialized January 15: "There is a
prevailing assumption in the Middle East during the current
Bush tour that the Arab countries are focused primarily on
the increasing Iranian threat and that the attendance of
these countries at the Annapolis meeting last November was
due to their fear of Iran. This assumption was reflected in
Bush's speech in the UAE, but may prove to be a very costly
wrong assumption. Israel and the Bush administration are
focusing on standing up to Iran's nuclear capabilities. The
Arabs, on the other hand, see this from a different point of
view. They are using the Iran issue to lure Israel and the
United States into a serious peace process between Israel and
the Palestinians. Moreover, the Arabs have reached the
conclusion that Iranian threats find more resonance in
Washington and Tel Aviv than do the efforts to achieve peace.
There is no doubt that many of the Arab governments are
worried about Iran and its role in Iraq. Yet, the course of
worry for Israel and the United States vis-a-vis Iran is
quite different. Israel views Iran's nuclear activity as a
threat to its security and Iran's support to Hizbollah and
Hamas as a military challenge. The Arab countries' concern
about support for Hamas and Hizbollah among the Arab people
is much more than their concern about the military power of
Hamas and Hizbollah. Moreover, their concern about Iran's
increasing influence in the Arab world exceeds that of
military confrontation with Iran. Additionally, Arab
countries view Iran as a harmful force but not as a main
reason for confrontation, since the majority of Arab
governments believe that the feelings of extremism and
antagonism are mainly the outcome of the lack of peace
between the Arabs and Israel. This viewpoint was not very
popular in Washington...unlike the Iran issue which is
clearly popular."

"For Bush's tour to be historic"
Al-Watan Arabic daily commented January 15: "President
Bush's visit, the first to the Middle East during his two
terms, with the exception of the visits he made to Iraq, may
be described as 'historic.' The visit that started in
occupied Palestine and then the Palestinian Territories was
historic for the occupation (Israel),especially since he
announced Israel's right to turn it into a state for the
Jews, and what accompanies that in terms of new migration for

RIYADH 00000072 003.2 OF 003


those remaining Arabs. In fact, President Bush raised the
fears of Palestinians and countries hosting refugees when he
announced that the right of return could be resolved with
financial compensation.... The Arabs hope and in fact demand
that Bush's visit to the Middle East be historic in the sense
that a solution to the sixty-year long Palestinian issue
could be found.... What President Bush will get out of his
meeting with officials in the Kingdom will continue to be
subject to the nature and fate of the Arab initiative. If he
ignores and bypasses this initiative, his tour will not be
considered a historic one."


4. Conclusion and comment. Saudi media coverage of
President Bush's visit clearly focused on two main agenda
items, the Middle East Peace Process and Gulf security.
Based on the widespread coverage, the President's visit
certainly revived local interest and enthusiasm for advancing
peace initiatives. The media suggested solid buy-in with key
players in the region on Middle East peace, but skepticism
about motives, and genuine will, also featured. Most
significantly, the heavy news coverage and healthy commentary
generated by the President's comments directed towards Iran
indicated Saudis continue to closely watch their Gulf
neighbor with concern. End conclusion and comment.
FRAKER