MEDIA REACTION TO JUNE 4 POTUS SPEECH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000657

SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND INR/OPN
LONDON
ROME
PARIS FOR AFRICA-WATCHER
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KISL KPAL DJ
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION TO JUNE 4 POTUS SPEECH


1. SUMMARY: Government-owned press in Djibouti devoted
considerable media attention to the June 4 POTUS speech in
Cairo before, during, and after the event. Prior to the
speech, French-language newspapers carried a lengthy opinion
piece reflecting the Government of Djibouti's expectations
that the speech would be an attempt to "change the
conversation with the Muslim world." After the speech, the
press described the speech as "historic" and "moving," but
cast it as an attempt to repair relationships damaged by
"American anger" at the Muslim world after the September 11
attacks. Finally, state-run media featured a full-page
article analyzing the themes addressed in the speech,
highlighting that while "one sole speech can't erase years of
suspicion," the President wanted to "to learn, to listen, to
treat [the Muslim world] with respect and find common ground."
END SUMMARY.

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PRE-SPEECH (JUNE 1-3)
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2. Prior to the speech, the government-owned French-language
newspaper, "La Nation," printed an article entitled "Barack
Obama to meet the Muslim world." The article was reprinted
from the French journal, "Le Monde," without acknowledgement
of its provenance. However, by appearing in "La Nation", the
GODJ indicated it concurred with the opinions expressed in the
article. There were only moderate expectations on policy,
particularly regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process
and Iran. It was noted that the address was likely to build
on the series of gestures taken by the U.S. administration
since January, including the New Year's message to Iran. "La
Nation" expected that the President would acknowledge the many
important contributions Muslim-Americans had made to U.S.
society and address the cultural and political issues dividing
the U.S. and the Muslim world.

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SPEECH DAY (JUNE 4)
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3. Government-owned Radio Television Djibouti (RTD) devoted
nearly twenty percent of its prime-time Somali-language news
service to covering the speech. RTD stated that the speech
was an attempt to repair relationships between the U.S. and
the Muslim world damaged by "American anger" in the wake of
9/11. RTD reported that the U.S. "is not an enemy of Islam,"
and that the President called upon Muslims worldwide to reject
the extremist ideology preached by the perpetrators of the
9/11 attacks and to "embrace" a "true" or "ideal" Islam. RTD
editorialized that the speech was an attempt to discuss
traditionally taboo subjects and clearly articulate U.S.
policy in the region. RTD did not touch upon all six points
addressed in the POTUS speech, but did mention that it
addressed women's rights, the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process, and U.S. intentions in Iraq and Afghanistan. RTD
noted the call for Israel to stop colonization efforts and the
President's promise to withdraw troops from Iraq by August,

2010.

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POST-SPEECH (JUNE 5-8)
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4. On June 8, "La Nation" summarized all six points of the
POTUS speech in-depth, with final editorial comments relating
to the previous administration. "La Nation" highlighted the
statement that Islam was part of the solution to extremists
like Al-Qaida, and applauded the call for Israel to cease
construction of settlements and the "intolerable" situation
faced by Palestinians. It also highlighted the demand that
Hamas cease violence and recognize Israel's right to exist.
The article summarized the reasons behind the strained U.S.-
Iran relationship and articulated that the President desired
to avoid an "arms race" in the Middle East. It noted that
Iran should live up to its obligations under the non-
proliferation treaty and cease to define itself "in
opposition" to the United States.


5. While "La Nation" used bold sub-head size to draw attention
to the points about extremism, nuclear arms, Iran, and the
Israel-Palestinian conflict, it did not give the same

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treatment to democracy, religious liberty, and women's rights.
These portions of the speech were summarized as well, but not
highlighted in bold text as the preceding topics had been.
The paper noted that the President urged both the Middle East
and Western countries to respect the rights of religious
minorities. "La Nation" pointed out that the President called
upon Western countries not to "hide hostility towards certain
religions under the guise of 'liberalism' and infringe upon
their rights to practice their religion."


6. The final section of the article was editorial in tone and
entitled "leaving the Bush-era and restoring the image of the
U.S." "La Nation" stated that the "war in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the Abou Ghraib scandal... the Guantanamo Bay
prisoners and Bush's resolutely pro-Israeli" stance tarnished
the U.S. image abroad, particularly in the Arab and Muslim
worlds. "La Nation" indicated that the polio eradication
program and development initiatives may help repair the damage
done. "La Nation" noted the skillful use of social media
employed by the current administration to ensure the message
reached the widest possible audience, including youth.


7. COMMENT. Djibouti is a moderate, majority-Muslim country
that hosts French, U.S., Japanese, and international coalition
military forces. All domestic press is owned by the GODJ, and
the press environment is tightly controlled. The GODJ is
religiously quite moderate and the speech was very well
received by GODJ officials. In subsequent meetings, those
same officials raised issues addressed in the President's
speech, showing that the message had been received and
resonated within the ruling elite. Some imams also
incorporated the speech into their Friday sermons, and the
buzz created by this address amongst the general population is
quite large. However, a degree of skepticism remains, as some
question whether the USG will be able to deliver on the
promises made in Cairo. Many have taken a "wait and see"
approach to gauge whether the USG will follow words with
action. END COMMENT.
SWAN