OMAN MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000739 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP NEA/PPD NEA/PI INR/R/MR NEA/SA/EX/PMO LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR NEA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU SUBJECT: OMAN MEDIA REACTION ¶1. SUMMARY: Oman's government papers carried stronger than usual criticism of U.S. issues: state Arabic daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) on July 6 lamented that President Obama did not more clearly criticize poor governance by some Arab regimes in his speech Cairo speech. On July 7, it also wrote that the U.S. decision to invade Iraq was its greatest mistake and the source of the sectarian violence in Iraq. Private Arabic "Al Watan" (circulation 42,000) continued to say that the Israeli peace efforts are more a part of their propaganda and deception strategy. END SUMMARY. -------------- CAIRO SPEECH IGNORES ARAB "ABUSES" -------------- ¶2. On July 6, a prominent local writer in government Arabic daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) criticized the President's Cairo speech for having "ignored abuses in the Arab world" and not going far enough in condemning poor governance in the region. "The Wishes and the Implications of Obama's Speech": "Amnesty International joined the critics of the U.S. president's Cairo speech for ignoring abuses in the Arab world that result from the continuation of the imposition of emergency laws and regulations and for not demanding the dismantling of tyrannies and their replacement with constitutional systems, committed to civil liberties and the distribution of power on the basis of democratic and human-rights principles." -------------- IRAQ INVASION: "FOOLISH MISTAKE" -------------- ¶3. In its strongest criticism yet of the war in Iraq, on July 7, "Oman" described the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq as its "greatest foolish mistake" because it pulled many parties into an endless dilemma of war and created new problems within the region. According to "Withdrawal and Iraqi Reconciliation": "The U.S. has destroyed the infrastructure and assets of the Iraqi state, and this undoubtedly was the greatest foolish mistake committed by the Bush administration [which pulled Iraq] into sectarian war that never existed before. Therefore, there is a need for a sense of reconciliation among the politicians. There should be an acknowledgment that it is impossible for a certain group to acquire the resources and wealth of Iraq, because Iraq is made up of many ethnic communities that must coexist in a positive way for the higher interest of Iraq and its people." -------------- ISRAEL'S MANEUVERS -------------- ¶4. On July 13, private Arabic daily "Al Watan" (circulation 42,000) called the Israeli Prime Minister's invitation to revive peace negotiations a deception and a "means to escape" the implementation of international resolutions concerning settlements. The paper decried "New Israeli Maneuvers": "Netanyahu's invitation to Palestinian President Abbas to meet for what he described as "the revival of peace negotiations" will not leave the context of propaganda, prevarication, and deception which has always been the prime Israeli policy, practiced again and again. This invitation is another means to escape American and other international demands to stop building more settlements." HURTADO