OMAN MEDIA REACTION:

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000902 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: The relative influence and overall credibility of the United States on the world stage was prominent in the Omani papers this week, with the Government Arabic daily "Oman" casting doubt about US mediation efforts on Israeli-Palestinian issues, the Arabic language "Al Watan" questioning US sincerity towards nuclear no proliferation, and the youth-oriented Arabic daily "Al Shabiba" chastising President Obama for renewing the contract of Black Water." END SUMMARY. -------------- ISRAEL: DELAY UNTIL PRESSURE "FADES AWAY" -------------- ¶2. On August 19 the state Arabic daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) commented on Israeli attempts to evade pressure on settlements, "Stopping Settlement Projects": "The Palestinian side is not anticipating any hope in the upcoming meeting between Netanyahu and U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell in London. In their estimation, it is just another maneuver, a strategy invariably used by the Israelis to camouflage their control of the situation for a while, until the Obama administration's pressure to stop the settlement activities fades away. Stopping settlements is the main condition put forward by the Palestinian president to start new negotiations toward the two-state solution. What the Palestinians really want is a complete halt of settlement expansion, not a partial or temporary freeze as Israel wants. Therefore, the U.S. Administration must be clear with Israel and consider Palestinian stands in order to reach final solutions, not just quick fixes." -------------- UN CONFERENCE "A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT" -------------- ¶3. Private Arabic daily "Al Watan" (circulation 42,000) on August 19 lamented that "Lack of Seriousness Fails the Conference on Disarmament": "The UN disarmament conference was a big disappointment. The selfishness of the nuclear superpowers and their unresponsiveness to international demands is opening doors for countries such as Israel, which owns over 200 nuclear war heads, to develop destructive weapons, endangering peace and security in the region. U.S. President Barack Obama has highlighted the importance of a world free of nuclear weapons, declaring that his administration will work with the UN to achieve this goal. Obama's agreement with his Russian counterpart Medvedev on reducing nuclear warheads was considered a good start by the nuclear giants to build new bases that would establish a climate of international peace and stability, because with this initiative they will force other reluctant nuclear powers to walk the same path. However, the tone of retreat took hold quickly when the U.S. refused to guarantee to Russia that it would not establish a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic or support Georgian and Ukrainian accession to NATO, prompting Moscow to threaten that its agreements with Washington would be conditioned on the fulfillment of Russian demands." -------------- The Dangers of a "Dark Organization" -------------- ¶4. Private, youth-oriented Arabic daily "Al Shabiba" (circulation 20,000) carried a column on August 23 by prominent local voice Sa'id al Hashmi regarding the administration's relationship with "Blackwater ... America's Dark Organization": "What many people do not understand is why a democratic, liberal man who seduced and won the hearts and minds of millions with his ideology of a new America and his historical speeches in which he uses Qur'an and the sayings of Islamic philosophers renewed the contract (for the coming period starting from September 2009) of this extremist and inhumane gang (Blackwater),one convicted of torturing and abusing Iraqis during the Bush administration. Iraq has had enough suffering, destruction, and insults. Is this the secure, democratic, stable Iraq that Obama wants? Therefore, I would like to say to President Obama: Spare us your speeches and start action. Spare us such organizations that abuse human rights." HURTADO