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OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #0073/01 0081453
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081453Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2443
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 3037
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0940
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000073 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, 
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO PREL KDEM IZ KMDR KU
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: Sharon's healthSHARON'S 
HEALTH 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Kuwaiti Arabic daily newspapers' coverage of the 
developments surrounding the Israeli Prime Minister's health 
mostly focused on the reporting on his conditions and the 
possibilities of recovery or death. The two analysis pieces 
found below provide an outlook into the possible scenarios 
resulting from Sharon's exit from Israeli politics. End 
Summary. 
 
Selected Headlines 
------------------ 
 
¶21. Saturday, January 07, 2006 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 38 "Sharon's era has passed in Israel and the 
region" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 38 "Netanyahu and Olmert will try to inherit 
succede Sharon and the `road map' will not return" 
 
-- Al-Watan p. 39 "Sharon is dying; and Rice postpones her 
Asia tour; and the peace process moves into the unknown." 
 
-- Al-Watan p. 41 "An American psychic: Sharon was struck by 
God's anger" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah p. 26 "Sharon's critical condition becomes 
more direr; and very dangerous damagessevere damage to his 
hemorrhaging head" 
 
-- Al-Anbaa front page "Sharon's head is still hemorrhaging" 
 
-- Al-Anbaa p. 26 "Who will fill the void left by Israel's 
king?"; "Bush and Sharon, ideological sympathy" 
 
Block Quotes 
------------ 
 
¶32. Saturday, January 07, 2006 
 
-- Hisham Melhim wrote on the front page of the moderate 
daily Al-Qabas under the title "Israel.the absence of an 
extremist and the one to come is more extreme": "The end of 
the Sharon era comes after fundamental changes in Israeli 
politics thate culminated in the ouster of Sharon from the 
Likud party and establishmenting of the new Kadima Pparty, 
the election of Amir Peretz as the leader of the Israeli 
Llabor Pparty, and the return of Benjamin Netanyahu's 
control over the Likud. Many observers see that in Sharon's 
absence the interim period in Israel will not be an easy 
time. Even if a new coalition government is formed under the 
leadership of the Kadima pParty the freeze on Israeli- 
Palestinian relations and communications will remain because 
the new Prime Minister whether it is Netanyahu, Ehud, or 
Olmert will take a strong stance towards the Palestinians in 
order to bolster his domestic support and will continue with 
the policy of unilateral actions especially in light of the 
current tensions on the Palestinian side that  seem like 
they will not come to and end any time soon." 
 
-- Nabil Al-Fadl wrote for the moderate daily Al-Watan under 
the title "Jews' heaven or Muslims' hell?": "Sharon's 
absence from Israeli politics will be a catastrophe for 
Palestinians and their cause. In situations of dispute such 
as that of the Israeli-Palestinian situation, it is the men 
of war who make peace. It was Anwar Al-Sadat would not have 
taken a single step in the direction of peace with Israel 
had he not fought the `73 war. .  No matter how black and 
painted in Arab blood Ariel Sharon's history may be, 
Israelis consider him a hero and none of their extremists 
can claim to be more of a nationalist than he. .  Sadly, the 
evaluation of Sharon by Arabs and especially the 
Palestinians does not surpass an emotional superficial 
judgment as Hamas did when it considered his departure 
`better for the world.' Steps will be halted on the road map 
and the next leader of Israel will be compelled to be cruel 
and suppressive towards Palestinians in order to win the 
confidence of the Israeli people and in order to clear 
himself of the stigma of being easy on the Palestinians. 
Palestinians will suffer more and more at the hands of the 
 
KUWAIT 00000073  002 OF 002 
 
 
new leader no matter who it is before he can open up the 
peace files and move on the road map. Thereby, the curse 
will remain upon the Palestinians be it a result of changes 
in their own leadership or in that of their enemy." 
 
********************************************* 
Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait 
 
You can also access this site through the 
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website 
********************************************* 
 
LeBaronLEBARON