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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, 
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA, EEB 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINO EPET OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- UPDATE ON KUWAITI MEDIA COVERAGE 
OF VIOLENCE IN GAZA 
 
REF:  1253 KUWAIT 08 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
Monday, January 5, 2009 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary and Comment.  As of Monday, January 5, all Kuwaiti 
Arabic and English language print dailies continued to publish 
headlines and pictures related to the ongoing situation in Gaza.  In 
addition to the continued front page news updates, a number of 
Editors-in-Chief offered editorials on the subject, championing the 
plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.  At the same time some of the 
same Editors-in-Chief criticized the activities of Hamas before and 
during the conflict.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
¶2. (U) Block quotes: 
 
--Carrying the headline 'Oh people of Gaza:  Do we cry at your 
sorrow or ours?' Shi'ite columnist Khalifa Al-Kharafi opined in 
moderate Arabic daily the Al-Qabas (01/05/09):  "We hope that Hamas 
is not a tool or a card in the hands of others, which they could use 
to their advantage.  We also wish that our MP's would find ways 
other than promising to throw the shoe to support the people of 
Gaza.  We hope that they would use reasoning more than passion, and 
that they would follow the footsteps of the Jews in their rational 
planning to reach the desired goals.  The Jews have surpassed us for 
a century in their ability to engage in rational planning.  The Arab 
nation has lost enough by using passionate slogans to charge 
peoples' emotions.  Arabs are still in a state of shock because they 
go from one defeat to another. We urge our governments and people to 
support Gaza and its people." 
 
--In an editorial entitled 'Gaza:  Good Bye Peace and Justice' that 
appeared in conservative Arabic daily the Al-Watan, Political 
Science Professor at Kuwait University Dr. Shamlan Al-Issa 
criticized the U.S. position in regards to Gaza (01/05):  "The U.S. 
Administration has erred when it announced that Hamas is solely 
responsible for the escalation in Gaza.  The Administration would 
err again if it believed that Hamas and the resistance in Gaza would 
be defeated through violence, killing, and incursions against 
innocent civilians.  Peace negotiations under the auspices of the 
United States and the Quartet have proved ineffective because Israel 
does not want peace, and does not believe in peace.  To the 
contrary, Israel encourages radicalism, fanaticism, and terrorism in 
the region.  Israel has expanded its settlements in the territories, 
fueled by U.S. approval and international silence!" 
 
--Under the headline 'The Steadfast Position of Musicians,' Nabil 
Al-Fadhel, a liberal writer in the conservative Arabic daily 
Al-Watan, opined (01/05):  "Israel betrayed neither Hamas nor Gaza. 
Time and time again it had sent alerts regarding its destructive 
intentions.  However, the fools covered their ears and refused to 
listen to these warnings.  Now when they were hit with fire they 
ridiculously say that Israel's treacherous bullets are hitting them. 
 We believe that Arab leaders did not abandon the people in Gaza, 
when they thought that they could help them stand firm and fight 
back.  But when they realized their real weakness, they opted to 
keep silent or pretended that they would come out victorious." 
 
--With the headline 'Follow them with your Initiative,' 
Editor-in-Chief of Al-Watan Daily English language newspaper wrote 
in the sister company daily conservative Arabic language Al-Watan 
(01/04):  "I have my differences with Hamas and its announced goals. 
 But I believe that this war is a war against Palestine.   Wisdom is 
a virtue, and the events of Gaza have revealed how fragile our state 
of mind is.  To those who believe that the Prophet's armies are 
coming I say, 'The Prophet's army is not coming back because we are 
living in different time. We had better think deeply of the reasons 
for our past defeats.  Reason says that today's world is not 
controlled by speeches but by knowledge, military power, and the 
power to make decisions.  However, we own nothing of those.  Let us 
wake up from our dream.'" 
 
--Headlined, 'Hamas's Special Agenda,' daily liberal columnist Saud 
Al-Samaka wrote in the moderate Arabic daily Al-Qabas (01/04): 
"What is happening in Gaza today is exactly the same as what 
happened in Lebanon in 2006.  The only difference is the cause.  In 
Lebanon, it was so-called Hezbollah, and in Gaza it is Hamas.  The 
style is the same.  Both organizations own home-made rockets that 
they threaten to launch at Israel.  We still have to see the real 
effects of these rockets, other than their noise.  Hamas's 
leadership is executing an agenda of their own, which has nothing to 
 
KUWAIT 00000011  002 OF 002 
 
 
do with the Palestinian cause, or the Palestinian people.  That is 
why there is not a trace of them in the battle fields.  They have 
left the fighting fields to women, children and the elderly, instead 
taking refuge in underground bunkers." 
 
--Editor-in-Chief of the newly established Assawt Arabic daily 
opined on the last page of his paper (01/04):  "What we need in 
these circumstances is serious effort at all levels to encourage 
effective countries to exert real efforts to stop the aggression. 
The true and real core of Kuwaitis was made obvious through the 
demonstrations, charity donations, and prayers to our brothers in 
Gaza." 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
 
JONES