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UNCLAS        MUSCAT 01090

SIPDIS
MUSCATCX:
    ACTION: PAO
    INFO:   AMB DCM POLE

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:RHARBUCKLE
DRAFTED: PAO:DHOFFMANN
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VZCZCATI129
PP RUEHC RUEHEE RUEHLO RUEHFR RHMFISS
DE RUEHMS #1090/01 1920715
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110715Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6874
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0415
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0310
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 001090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI, AND INR/R/MR 
STATE PASS USTR FOR N. MOORJANI, J. BUNTIN 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR SILAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR MU
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: GAZA, IRAQI NATIONAL RECONCILIATION 
PLAN, GREATER MIDDLE EAST INITIATIVE, ARAB STUDENTS IN U.S. 
 
 
SUMMARY:  Local Arabic-language press continues harsh criticism 
of Israel's Gaza incursion.  Government-owned "Oman" newspaper 
uses more direct language in reporting on Iraq and calls the 
national-reconciliation initiative a "positive step."  "Al-Watan" 
ponders the fate of the Greater Middle East Initiative.  The 
state daily positively notes efforts by the U.S. government to 
attract more Arab students.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------- 
COVERAGE 
-------- 
 
¶1.  Israel's Gaza incursion continued to receive strongly 
negative coverage in the local press.  In a July 7 front-page 
article, privately owned Arabic-language daily "Al-Watan" 
(circulation 42,000) reported that Israel had used unspecified 
"internationally-banned weapons." Arabic papers front-paged 
photos of a dead Palestinian boy bloodied by Israeli fire. In "Al- 
Watan," the accompanying text described Israel's incursion as a 
"terrorist attack" (wording not repeated in the government-owned 
"Oman"). "Al Watan" led July 8 coverage with "Thirty-one Martyrs 
in Two Days; The Occupation is Confident of an American Veto." 
An accompanying photo depicted Palestinian civilians fleeing 
Gaza. 
 
¶2.  Language in the government-owned, Arabic-language daily 
"Oman" (circulation 38,000) has taken a firmer line in regard to 
Iraq, with, for example, terms such as "sectarian fighting" 
replacing the less-specific "acts of violence" or "attacks," 
"militias" replacing "armed gunmen," and characterizations such 
as a "war of mosques" appearing for in headlines for the first 
time.  These new phrases mark the first acknowledgement in state- 
media coverage of the sectarian dimension to conflict in Iraq. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
BLOCK QUOTES: "GLOBAL SILENCE" OVER GAZA 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. On July 6, Government-owned, Arabic-language daily "Oman" 
(circulation 38,000) deemed Israel's Gaza incursion a "Collective 
Tragedy:" 
 
"What incites Israel to continue its aggression is not global 
silence or American justifications alone, but local supporters as 
well.  These supporters play their own role in minimizing 
Israel's excesses against the Palestinian people by continuously 
criticizing the work of the Palestinian organizations that must 
deal with their fierce enemy.  By this criticism, they send a 
negative message to the world, one that could be interpreted by 
Israel to be in line with its own interests, leading the world 
shall to look at the situation through Israeli eyes... Israel has 
taken full advantage of the international silence and continued 
to ignore even the calls of her allies and friends, who are 
sometimes embarrassed by such a silence.  Israel's persistence in 
embarrassing its allies is part of a well-prepared game that it 
is used to playing and using as a way to convict the whole world. 
Though this, Israel forces others to accept and concede to its 
wishes and judgment, depriving international opinion of its 
ability to restrict its movements or take any positive action. 
The international silence confirms the bitter fact:  the 
Palestinian issue has been withdrawn from the American camp and 
is solely a matter of Israeli internal affairs." 
 
--------------------------------------- 
SOLDIER'S KIDNAPPING "MERELY A PRETEXT" 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  July 7's "Oman" editorial continued the theme, saying that 
"Israel's Escalation Increases Risks:" 
 
"It is not an exaggeration to say that the situation in the 
Occupied Territories in particular, and in the region at large, 
is undergoing highly dangerous developments.  In the past, before 
the kidnapping of the soldier, Israel used tactics of physical 
liquidation, storming Palestinian villages and towns and closing 
borders to pressure the Palestinian people.  The kidnapping of 
the soldier is merely a pretext for its latest insane military 
operation to ravage and destroy Palestinian towns, with no 
deterrent or moral restraint... It is very important to ease the 
situation in the Palestinian territories, and continue 
negotiations for the release of the Israeli soldier, as well as 
that of Palestinian ministers and members of parliament who have 
been kidnapped by Israel, in addition to other Palestinian 
prisoners in Israeli jails... Israel has worried that Hamas and 
Fatah might reach a deal, defusing Israel's excuse that it has no 
Palestinian partner with which to negotiate.  Who provided this 
excuse for Israel and paved the way for it to carry out all these 
acts that are condemned and denounced by all measures?  The facts 
show that there are Palestinians who have facilitated Israel's 
plan to carry out whatever it wants to do." 
 
----------------------------------------- 
IRAQ RECONCILIATION PLAN A "POSITIVE STEP" 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  On July 8, "Oman" commented on the Iraqi national 
reconciliation initiative, calling it "A National Necessity:" 
 
"In the sea of tragic events and violence that covers Iraq, the 
national reconciliation initiative launched by Iraqi Prime 
Minister Nouri Al Maliki is a positive step on the path of Iraqi 
reconstruction.  For this initiative to bear fruit, the 
participation of all political powers, parties, sects, and tribes 
is important... They should play the national role assigned to 
them and discuss all problems directly, including the scheduled 
withdrawal of U.S. and British forces from Iraq.  This matter 
greatly impacts the rule of law and the state's dedication to 
reconstructing civil and security institutions.  Foreign forces 
will leave Iraq sooner or later, and thus the mission of the 
Iraqi government and parliament should focus on reconciling 
Iraqis amongst themselves, with no exceptions.  Within this 
framework, if the initiative needs some flexibility in terms and 
conditions, such as excluding some groups or individuals, this is 
possible.  Meanwhile, Arab countries should provide political 
support for Iraq and for helping its people achieve their 
potential.  This could be achieved by providing the necessary 
support to national reconciliation endeavors, and doing 
everything possible to boost peace and stability in the country." 
 
-------------------------------- 
WHITHER THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST? 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  In a July 8 column in privately owned, Arabic-language "Al- 
Watan" (circ. 42,000), commentator Mohammed al-Toubi queries "The 
Greater Middle East Initiative: Who Silenced It?" 
 
"The so-called 'Greater Middle East Initiative' embodied several 
strategic designs which include imposing hegemony on the whole 
region, securing known oil supplies and unexploited ones (as in 
the Baltic Sea), and ultimately achieving the greatest goals, 
which are Israel's integration into the Arab community and the 
besieging of Iran, China, and Russia... The occupation of Iraq 
and the current contention over the oil wealth in Darfur between 
the West (particularly Washington) and China, and the latter's 
reluctance to sacrifice its interests in Iran due to the Iranian 
nuclear issue, reflect the extent of this competition.  There is 
a continuing question:  why have supporters of the Greater Middle 
East Initiative been silenced?  In my opinion, a number of 
important matters have been a thorn in their throat... First: the 
emergence of Islamic movements classified by America and Europe 
as radical or terrorist, which swept the recent elections in many 
Islamic states, including Hamas in the occupied Palestinian 
territories.  Second: Iraq, where American ambitions and 
endeavors to form a sectarian government have failed.  Also, 
significant hurdles remain for the formation of a national unity 
government, including the issue of the militias formed inside the 
government's security organs and taking part in the killing 
campaigns.  This is in addition to scandals of the American armed 
forces, starting with Abu Ghraib Prison and including the rape 
and slaughter of the Iraqi teenager and her family.  Added to 
that is the American casualties in Iraq which have exceeded 
2,500, according to the Pentagon.  All these factors have sunk 
Bush's popularity to the lowest level of any previous American 
President.  Very loud voices at both the official and popular 
levels are asking for a timetable for American armed forces to 
pull out of Iraq." 
 
----------------------------------------- 
PROGRAM ALUMNUS PRAISES STUDY IN THE U.S. 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  On July 4, journalist (and recent participant in American 
University's Summer Institute on Democracy and Elections) Haider 
Abd al-Ridha al-Lawati commented in "Oman" on "The Arab Student 
at U.S. Universities:" 
 
"In the past two years, the U.S. Administration has implemented a 
number of procedures and reforms to encourage Arab students to 
study in the U.S., such as offering online information, and 
easing the student visa process.  In addition to revenue that 
international students provide, it seems that the American people 
are working to know more about the Arab world, reflected by the 
fact that the number of American students studying Arabic doubled 
between 2003 and 2005.  This educational exchange is important 
and serves the interests of people around the world.  It yields 
dialogue and cultural exchange, especially in the area of 
religions... Education aims at prosperity and the advancement of 
human science." 
 
GRAPPO