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.

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ISRAEL: DELAY UNTIL PRESSURE "FADES AWAY"
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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."

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UN CONFERENCE "A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT"
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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."

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The Dangers of a "Dark Organization"
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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