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Brooke F Adams  08/06/2006 02:05:13 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Brooke F Adams

Cable 
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UNCLAS        CAIRO 04675

SIPDIS
CXCAIRO:
    ACTION: PA
    INFO:   POL ECON DCM AMB MGT IPS

DISSEMINATION: PA
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PA:HMAHONEY
DRAFTED: PA:RLERNER
CLEARED: ECPO:CHILL-HERNDON

VZCZCCRI485
RR RUEHXK
DE RUEHEG #4675 2121422
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311422Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS CAIRO 004675 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/PPD FOR ROBIN SMITH AND DAVID BENZE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO PREL PREL IS LE EG
SUBJECT:  REVENGE, REVENGE, REVENGE!  EXPEL THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR! 
 EGYPT MEDIA TRENDS: JULY 31, 2006 
 
 
¶1.  Summary. Egyptian media was overwhelmingly focused on the July 
30 Qana bombing.  Most headlines, television talk shows and 
commentaries expressed rage toward the US for the deaths of women 
and children, perceiving the US as, having planned the military 
campaign with Israel in order to pursue its "greater Middle East 
project" and, subsequently, preventing the possibility of a 
ceasefire during the Rome conference last week. In response to the 
Qana bombing, Egyptian state television and the main pro-government 
daily, Al-Ahram, diverted from their usual less inflammatory editing 
and programming, to exploiting images of dead children and babies. 
In an unusual practice, President Mubarak went live on television to 
deliver a strong statement in support of the Lebanese people and in 
condemnation of the Qana bombing.  Opposition   commentators spared 
no anger toward the US or Arab regimes, with fresh praise for 
Hezbollah from opposition columnists.  End summary. 
 
¶2. Breaking news.  President Mubarak went live on television this 
afternoon to deliver a statement condemning the Qana bombing. Of 
note, Mubarak declared Israel as "going beyond all red lines" and 
called the Qana bombing a "horrible massacre against innocent 
civilians (and) a witness to Israel's serious violation of 
international law."  He expressed "sorrow for failing to reach an 
immediate ceasefire" and recalled his "warning of the serious 
repercussions on the security and stability of the Middle East and 
the world."  He blamed the failure of a ceasefire on 
"procrastination and incapability (which) reflect substantial 
international imbalances in the collective security system." 
 
¶3. In the headlines. The Qana bombing pushed already-raging emotions 
even higher, as reflected in all of the day's headlines. All papers 
showed photos of dead children and babies being carried from the 
rubble.  Most had several photos, many in color, prominently placed 
on front and inside pages.  Leading pro-government daily, Al Ahram's 
banner headline, "A Horrifying Israeli War Crime in the 'Qana 2006' 
Massacre" was accompanied by a quarter-page, color photo of two dead 
girls lying side-by-side on a stretcher.  The use of these photos 
represented a change from Al-Ahram's usual method of focusing on 
military operations and setting a more neutral tone. Like Al-Ahram, 
pro-government daily, Al-Gomhouriya, headlined, "The World 
Conscience Is on Vacation" with the same photo of the two girls. 
From the independent and opposition papers, headlines shouted, 
"Revenge, Revenge, Revenge" (opposition daily Al-Wafd), "The 
Bush-Olmert Massacre in Qana" (Al-Wafd), and "The Murderers" 
(opposition daily, Al-Ahrar).  Well-respected, independent daily, 
Al-Masry Al-Yom, headlined on the front page, "Dozens of Civilians 
Martyred including 38 Children in Brutal Shelling, Hizbullah 
Threatens a Harsh Response" and inside, promoted to "Expel the 
Israeli Ambassador, Expel the American Ambassador." 
 
¶4.  In the commentaries.  Most of the day's commentaries repeated 
the same anger toward Israel, the US and Arab rulers for the Qana 
bombing.  For example, from Al-Masry Al-Yom, one senior columnist 
left his column blank, with a single sentence at the bottom, "After 
the Qana massacre what will the Arab traitors say?"  Other columns 
lamented that "the Arab nation is empty, lacking pride, honor and 
courageous men... while leaving its children to die. ... Hezbollah 
will expose Israel's brutal appetite and will encourage Arab nations 
to push their succumbing rulers in history's trash."  Comments 
expressing anger toward the US varied in extreme from pro-government 
to opposition.  An Al-Masry Al-Yom columnist accused the US of 
"working against its own people ... and (losing) all the sound 
qualifications of a member of the international community." A 
columnist in pro-government daily, Rose Al-Youssef, accused the US 
of "committing this massacre which it plotted in order to force the 
international community to accept its ceasefire conditions..." and 
"history will always link Israel's massacres ... with US 
criminality." An Al-Ahram columnist condemned "Secretary Rice for 
announcing her new Middle East among the ruins" and "reject(s) the 
new model that Rice represents...."  As for Hezbollah, columns were 
mostly silent regarding Hezbollah, other than opposition daily, 
Al-Wafd columnists who wrote in praise of "the mufti who ended the 
confusion by saying that Hezbollah is not a terrorist group" and 
"Hezbollah for incurring fear and shock on the Zionist occupation." 
RICCIARDONE