MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CAIRO

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000666

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CAIRO


1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage June 6-8 on the speculation over President Ma Ying-jeou
possibly doubling as KMT chairman after July; on the reshuffle of
board members in the Formosa Petrochemical Corp; and on several
issues concerning the livelihood of people in Taiwan.


2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" said President Obama's speech showed
his sincerity and courage to resolve the problems between the United
States and the Muslim world. The speech also helped to improve the
United States' international image, the article added, but still, it
failed to provide practical measures as to how the problems will be
resolved. A column in the pro-unification "United Daily News" said
the key to judge whether President Obama's speech is successful or
not depends on the responses of religious leaders in Tehran and the
hawks in Israel. A column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China
Times" raised various questions concerning President Obama's speech
and said the Muslims of the world still hesitate to believe in what
President Obama said. The conservative, pro-unification,
English-language "China Post" said the bone of contention is
Palestine, and Obama's wish to create a Palestinian state might take
hundreds of years to be fulfilled. End summary.

A) "Obama in Cairo"

Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in his column in the mass-circulation
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (6/8):

"[U.S. President Barack] Obama's speech at Cairo University was
interrupted by enthusiastic applause several times. There has never
been a Western leader in history who has received such high
expectation in the Arabic world. This was a very successful public
diplomacy activity. However, nobody dares to be optimistic about
how Obama's eloquence is able to cross the chasm in the real world.
...

"Obama mentioned his personal experience, his many Muslim relatives,
his childhood in Indonesia and the peace and dignity that he found
in Islam. As president, he has the obligation to try his best to
remove the bias against Islam. At the same time, he also asked the
Islamic world to remove its bias against the United States. These
words were sincere from within and thus appeared so externally and
have found their echo [in the audience] to a great extent. However,
when an abstract and perceptual speech runs into practical issues,
the outcome [of the speech] will change beyond recognition, similar
to an egg hitting a rock. Obama showed his lack of confidence when
he talked about the Israel-Palestine problem.

"He showed his deep sympathy toward Palestine's situation. He said
'for more than 60 years the Palestinians have endured the pain of
dislocation...they endure the daily humiliations that come with
occupation...the situation for the Palestinian people is
intolerable. And America will not turn our backs on the legitimate
Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of
their own.' Muslims were happy after hearing these words. However,
he emphasized Israel's right to exist. He said 'America's bond with
Israel is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical
ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland
is rooted in a [tragic] history that cannot be denied.' Such a
statement has been spoken by [former U.S. Presidents George W.] Bush
and [Bill] Clinton and was thus nothing new at all.

"Obama said during this trip, he wanted to speak out the truth that
most people did not wish to hear. However, Muslims are distributed
among more than fifty countries in the world. While every country's
situation is different, one can hardly speak of Muslims as a whole.
The content of Obama's speech is too broad. He raised many issues
but did not dare to touch on concrete resolutions. Obama's coming
to the Arab world as a black president has already crossed the gap
of race. Now, he tries to cross the gap of religion. The image of
such a broad mind, courage and sincerity must have been deeply
imprinted in numerous Muslims' [hearts]. Even if the effect is not
as expected, it can at least eliminate prejudice and will do a great
job in improving the United States' international image."

B) "Obama's Unaccomplished Speech"

A column in the pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation:
400,000] wrote (6/6):

"U.S. President [Barack] Obama urged the Islamic world to renew the
relationship with the United States. Obama reached out the olive
branch, but the key to whether the speech will be able to make
history relies on whether the religious leaders in Tehran and those
hawks in Israel want to accept it or not. Israeli officials, for
example, have claimed that they will not stop the construction of
settlements in the West Bank. ...

"One may well say that the goodwill and empathy delivered in the

speech is rare among United States presidents through the ages.
Leaders of Islamic countries that have diplomatic ties with the
United States all feel this clearly. However, the speech is very
vague to people in these [Islamic] countries. Iran will not stop
its development of nuclear weapons only because Obama's urging. The
Taliban will not stop recruiting new blood only because of his
condemnation. ...

"Obama has delivered an outstanding speech. However, the importance
of the speech does not really lie in setting the tone for now but
rather on whether he [Obama] is able to make the content of the
speech into policies in the future. In other words, the speech is
as yet unaccomplished."

C) "Muslims Listen to Obama's Words and Then Will Watch His Deeds"

The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning
"China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (6/6):

"... [President] Obama has been planning for this Middle East trip
for a long time, with the intent of earning the Islamic world's
favorable impression toward the United States, making a breakthrough
on the Iran-Palestinian issue, and hoping that the Arab nations will
not oppose the United States' policies toward Iraq and Afghanistan.
... [Obama's speech] sounded very good, but will his deeds match
what he said? Obama said, 'America is not -- and never will be --
at war with Islam.' Here is the question: Is Iraq part of the
Islamic world? Has Saddam Hussein ever been in possession of
weapons of mass destruction and thus posed a threat to the United
States? Then why did the United States want to declare war against
Iraq?

"Obama also said, 'America will not turn our backs on the legitimate
Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of
their own.' But the question is: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's Administration showed no interest at all in the
'two-state' doctrine concerning Palestinian people building their
own country, and he only said [his country] will 'co-exist
peacefully' with the Palestinians. Why didn't Obama refute
Netanyahu? Obama also said Iran has the right to access to peaceful
nuclear power. Regarding this, Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei said: 'hatred against the United States will not change
simply because of the language. What is required are deeds. No
wonder 'Al Jazeera' television Arabic service said that Obama's
performance in Cairo 'has nothing new at all.'

"How then should [the United States] renew [its relationship] with
Muslims? Since the happening of the 'September 11th terrorist
attack,' the Evangelicals, who scrupulously observe conventional
Christianity doctrines, become the biggest religious group and the
mainstream religion in the United States. [Former U.S. President
George W.] Bush liked to use religious language more than any other
former United States president, and the language he used was
directly from the Evangelicals. Evangelicals regard Islamic
extremism the same as [they do] all of Islam. Can Obama reverse
such a trend?

"Obama said America's 'bond with Israel is unbreakable. It is based
upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the
aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a [tragic] history
that cannot be denied.' Can Muslims in the world still believe that
Obama wants to reconcile with Islam after they hear this kind of
talk?"

D) "New Beginning for U.S., Muslims Ties"

The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post"
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (6/8):

"President Barack Obama sought a 'new beginning' between the United
States and Muslims around the world in a major speech he delivered
in Cairo last week. ... It is an about-face demarche from his
predecessor George W. Bush's new conservative policy of
confrontation, that got the United States in the quagmire of
Afghanistan and Iraq, from which Obama is doing what he can to get
out. It is easier said than done to make the United States and the
Muslim world not mutually exclusive. ...

"The United States cannot forsake Israel, which by far the greater
majority of the Muslim Arabs wish to oust from Palestine and restore
to its status ante bellum. Obama has committed to a two-state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He will follow up the
new beginning with all-out efforts to create a Palestinian state
side-by-side with Israel. But he can't because Israel is opposed to
it. All that Israel can concede is a peaceful coexistence, not two
states. The beginning could be initiated without difficulty. It
may take years, decades or even longer to see the Arabs and Israelis
live in peace in their respective states in Palestine. There won't
be a shortcut solution to the conflict rooted in historical forces

for hundreds of years."

YOUNG