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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6866
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003555 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; 
RRU-NEA 
IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR MCKUNE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: US POLICIES/RACISM AT AIRPORTS 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  An unsigned editorial in "Al-Khaleej" asks the U.S. to 
return to the right path, to the principles of justice, freedom, and 
human rights.  A Qatari columnist in "Al-Ittihad" writes that Arabs 
are treated with institutional racism in Western airports.  An 
Egyptian columnist wondered what William Fulbright would have said 
had he lived long enough to witness what the American policeman was 
doing in of region.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2.  Under the headline "The harvest of the American policy", the 
Sharjah-based Arabic-language daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 
90,000) wrote in an 09/07 unsigned editorial: 
 
"Wherever the U.S. administration looks, it will find the bad 
harvest of its international policy.  Those who reject the policies 
of the U.S. administration are not just the Arab and Muslim victims 
and third world peoples, rather they are even the peoples of the 
states which are allies of America.  People have moved from 
criticizing the U.S. policy to the state of being scared of it. 
When the Europeans were asked which country threatens international 
stability, the U.S. came first and Iran came second...  This result 
reflects the sentiments against the U.S. policies even though the 
U.S. has a wide and intensive public diplomacy effort to build 
support...  What can TV programs and the compiled articles do to 
shape public opinion when the disastrous reality shows something 
different.  The America administration declared a war on terror 
under the pretext that it wants peace for all people.  However, the 
administration has created the ideal climate for terror to spread. 
This is what the Democrats in America say in their reports which 
they use to confront their President.  And this is what the British 
believe, according to an opinion poll published in the Times... 
When will the U.S. return to the right path, to the principles of 
justice, freedom, and human rights?  When will it at least abide 
with true international legitimacy, not the jungle law which it 
imposes by force on today's world?" 
 
¶3.  Under the headline "When procedures turn into racism", a Qatari 
columnist, Dr. Ahmed Abdul-Malik, wrote in his weekly column in the 
Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad" on 
09/07 (circulation 65,000): 
 
"We don't disagree with the European states and the U.S. on their 
right to guarantee the safety of planes at their airports.  But when 
scrutiny is concentrated on a particular segment based on names, 
culture and religion, then that is racism, which is against the 
divine books and the earthly laws...  ACLU and the American Muslim 
Council accused security officers at JFK airport of discrimination 
against Muslims.  They highlighted the case of an Iraqi family which 
was held at the airport for 6 hours during which they were searched 
with humiliation.  The Sunday Mail reported that a British airline 
forced two passengers to leave the plane because they spoke Arabic. 
If this is the case, there should be new laws which forbid speaking 
Arabic on board and ban the travel of anyone with beard, 
dark-colored or wear emama (head cover for men), or those who carry 
with them the Quran.  Isn't this a sort of racism?" 
 
¶4.  Under the headline "The two faces of America according to 
William Fulbright", an Egyptian columnist, Dr. Wahid Abdul-Majeed, 
wrote in his weekly column in the Abu Dhabi-based semi-official 
Arabic-language daily "Al-Ittihad" on 09/07 (circulation 65,000): 
 
"If you read William Fulbright's book "The Arrogance of Power" which 
was written in 1966 you will be surprised by how far-sighted 
Fulbright was 40 years ago...  It is surprising how accurate he was 
when he warned of what could happen if the U.S. behaved with the 
force of arrogance to suppress as if it has a divine message...  In 
his book, he talked about what he called the two Americas.  In 
reality, America is two Americas; one is positive and the other is 
negative.  One is wicked, the other is kind...  Fulbright says that 
one of the Americas is kind and humane and the other is 
self-centered.  One acts responsibly and the other believes it is 
always right.  One is looking for the truth, and the other has 
appointed herself as a saint...  I don't know what Fulbright would 
have said had he lived long enough to witness what the American 
policeman is doing in our region, which is full of chaos and tension 
after a crazy war on Israel.  Would he have dreamed of a new middle 
east to come out of the wreckage?!" 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00003555  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
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