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Diana T Fritz  03/15/2007 02:22:54 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM                                             May 11, 2004


To:       No Action Addressee                                    

Action:   Unknown                                                

From:     AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1508 - UNKNOWN)         

TAGS:     OIIP, KMDR                                             

Captions: None                                                   

Subject:  PUBLIC REACTION TO ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS            

Ref:      None                                                   
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 01508

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: PAO 
    INFO:   ECON POL AMB DCM 
Laser1:
    ACTION: PAO 

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:HOLSIN-WINDECKER
DRAFTED: PAO:AHOSHAN
CLEARED: PAO:HOLSIN_WINDECKER

VZCZCADI870
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #1508 1320409
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110409Z MAY 04
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4302
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0797
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0833
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001508 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
LONDON PASS TO MOC 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT:  PUBLIC REACTION TO ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: NEGATIVE AND VEHEMENT PUBLIC REACTION TO PHOTOS AND 
REPORTS OF  IRAQI PRISONER ABUSE CONTINUED.  EVER SINCE IT HIT 
THE PRESS, THE ISSUE HAS BEEN DOMINATING LOCAL AND REGIONAL MEDIA 
AS WELL AS PUBLIC OPINION IN THE UAE.  CONTACTS COMMISERATE THAT 
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY EFFORTS HAVE BECOME NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE 
THE PHOTOS GAVE EXTREMISTS ADDITIONAL AMMUNITION TO CRITICIZE THE 
U.S.  A SENIOR CONTACT NOTED THAT THE GOOD SIDE OF THE STORY 
REVEALS THAT THERE ARE GOOD-HEARTED AND CONSCIENTIOUS PEOPLE 
INVOLVED WITH THE ISSUE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  A UAE EDITOR OF A MILITARY MAGAZINE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY SET AN 
APPOINTMENT WITH THE INFORMATION SPECIALIST TO DISCUSS SCHEDULING 
AN INTERVIEW WITH CENTCOM COMMANDER IN CHIEF SAID: "DO YOU THINK 
I CAN STILL COME AND TALK ABOUT NORMAL BUSINESS IN THESE 
CIRCUMSTANCES?.. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE PHOTOS WOULD MAKE 
YOUR JOB EXTREMELY HARD SIMPLY BECAUSE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT 
THEM.  THE PHOTOS MAKE EXCELLENT AMMUNITION FOR THE EXTREMISTS IN 
THEIR OFFENSIVES AGAINST THE U.S." 
 
¶3.  AN ARAB MEDIA CONTACT NOTED: "THE REPETITIVE AIRING OF THE 
PHOTOS ON REGIONAL SATELLITE CHANNELS WOULD FOIL ANY PUBLIC 
DIPLOMACY ATTEMPTS OF THE U.S. IN THE REGION.  HOW COULD THE U.S. 
TALK ABOUT RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY, WHILE AT THE 
SAME TIME IS DOING THE CONTRARY IN IRAQ?  THE PHOTOS GAVE 
EXTREMISTS AN UPPER HAND IN THE PUBLIC AND IN THE MEDIA, EVEN 
THOSE WHO STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE ACTS ARE DONE BY FEW 
SOLDIERS, WHILE THE MAJORITY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB FOR IRAQIS, 
CANNOT SAY SO SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE BASHED AT STRONGLY BY 
THE MAINSTREAM.  THE SOLDIERS WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF THE PRISON 
BELIEVED THAT IRAQIS ARE VERY TOUGH, HOSTILE AND BACKWARD PEOPLE 
WHO DESERVE SUCH A TREATMENT.  IT WAS NOT THEIR MISTAKE BUT OF 
THEIR COMMANDERS.  ALTHOUGH THE ABUSES WERE MADE BY HANDFUL OF 
PEOPLE IT TRULY REFLECTS THE MENTALITY OF SENIOR AMERICAN 
COMMANDERS IN THE PENTAGON." 
 
¶5.  A SENIOR MINISTRY OF INFORMATION OFFICIAL SAID: "ALTHOUGH THE 
PICTURES ARE TERRIBLE AND DISGUSTING, YET, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE 
POSITIVE SIDE OF THE WHOLE ISSUE: THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO ARE 
CONSCIENTIOUS AND GOOD-HEARTED.  THE FACT PEOPLE HERE MUST 
REALIZE, IS, THAT WITHOUT THE HELP OF THOSE PEOPLE, THE ENTIRE 
STORY OF PRISONER ABUSE WOULD HAVE REMAINED UNTOLD." 
 
    ¶6.  AN ATTORNEY, A CONTACT OF THE POLITICAL SECTION, WHO IS ACTIV 
IN SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS, HAD SOME VERY STRONG VIEWS.  HE SAID 
THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, WHILE SIMILAR ACTIVITIES WERE DONE 
UNDER SADDAM'S REGIME, IT DOES NOT EXECUSE THE U.S. FOR DOING THE 
SAME.  HE SAID THAT THE U.S. "WENT TOO FAR" WITH THIS, AND THAT 
THIS, ALONG WITH THE FALLUJAH SIEGE, IS "CHANGING MINDS AND 
CREATING VERY BAD FEELINGS TOWARDS THE U.S." HE ADDED: "BUSH IS 
PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF FUNDAMENTALIST MUSLIMS."  HE ADDED THAT 
PEOPLE WHO OPPOSED U.S. POLICIES IN IRAQ BEFORE ARE USING THE 
PHOTOS TO REFUEL THEIR STATEMENTS AND "WIDEN THE GULF".  MANY 
PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE THAT THE ABUSE IS PROBABLY WIDESPREAD AND NOT 
"ISOLATED INCIDENTS."  WHILE THE PHOTOS ARE BEING PORTRAYED AS 
INDIVIDUAL INCIDENTS BY THE MEDIA, MANY "RATIONAL PEOPLE" 
(MEANING, NOT CONSPIRACY THEORISTS OR OTHERS WITH AN ANTI-U.S. AX 
TO GRIND) BELIEVE THAT SOON IT WILL COME OUT THAT THIS WAY OF 
TREATING PRISONERS WAS STANDARD U.S. POLICY. 
 
ALBRIGHT