VZCZCXRO3507
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHMS #1451/01 2821239
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091239Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7239
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0443
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0335
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001451 
 
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: SECRETARY'S MIDDLE EAST VISIT, NORTH KOREAN 
NUCLEAR TEST, LACK OF ARAB UNITY 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  "Oman" columnist alleges that one aim of Secretary 
Rice's visit is to divide the Middle East into Arab versus Persian, 
Sunni versus Shia; "Al-Watan" notes that North Korea's nuclear test 
coincides with the West's "carrot and stick" policy towards Iran.  A 
columnist in "Al-Watan" calls for a united Arab stance against 
Israel.  Dailies give front page coverage to Secretary Rice's Middle 
East tour.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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COVERAGE 
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¶2.  Dailies front-paged Secretary Rice's Middle East tour, her calls 
for implementing the Quartet's agenda in Israel-Palestine, and her 
visit to Iraq. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
BLOCK QUOTES: SKEPTICISM OVER SECRETARY'S VISIT 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3.  On October 7, a columnist in state-owned daily "Oman" 
(circulation 38,000) wrote about "Condi's Commodities...and the 
Illusions of Bush's Vision": 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice toured the region... [She] 
called for...a Palestinian government that would respect the 
principles of the Quartet.  Rice's ostensible reason for the visit 
was to listen, but amongst themselves Arabs believed that before her 
arrival she had already divided Arabs into two categories:  those 
who are constructive, and those who are destructive... On a regional 
level, Rice brought up the Iranian nuclear threat, forgetting the 
obvious and existing danger of Israel's nuclear program.  She 
repeated the prevailing American-Israeli refrain about how the 
region is on its way to becoming two fronts, Sunni versus Shia or 
Arab versus Persian.  Unfortunately, some of us lend credibility to 
that view... The refrain alleges that the so-called constructive 
party of Arabs...identify with American and Israeli interests, while 
those who are destructive adopt the alternate stance.   [The 
American-Israeli refrain] reiterates the division between a good and 
an evil axis, but this time on a regional basis... The only new 
thing that Rice brought to the Arabs was to substitute calls for 
moderation for the previous calls for democracy... Condi [nickname 
transliterated in the original Arabic] did not visit the region to 
listen, or to revive what was once called the Peace Process... She 
came only to promote her goods and repeat the same old American 
agenda for the region...including some oft-repeated, honey-coated 
speeches that merely add illusions to Bush's blurry vision, and his 
slogan that lacks any serious content since he articulated a 
two-state solution.  Not even Bush remembers that slogan, except 
when he sees the need to drum up some illusions." 
 
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NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST AND IRAN 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  On October 7, a columnist in privately owned "Al-Watan" 
(circulation 42,000) wrote that "North Korea Imposes its 
International Agenda": 
 
"North Korea's announcement of a nuclear test is no accident, at a 
time when the West is occupied with Iran through a carrot and stick 
policy... [President Bush's] popularity is at an all-time low, and 
controversy between Democrats and Republicans is fierce over the 
Iraq war and national security issues.... In addition to European 
negotiations meant to stop Tehran from enriching uranium, Washington 
is threatening to impose international sanctions.  Furthermore, the 
U.S. has tried to use Rice's tour to mobilize regional states 
against Iran and to clarify the consequences of not doing so... 
Pyongyang is sending a message to many parties, the most important 
of which are Washington and Tokyo." 
 
------------------------------- 
ARABS NOT UNITED AGAINST ISRAEL 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  On October 8, a columnist in "Al Watan" complained about the 
lack of a united Arab stance on Israel in an editorial called, "Why 
this Divide?" 
 
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her army's presence on 
Lebanese beaches is meant to secure Israel's right to exist and 
further explained that her country was not neutral and didn't wish 
 
MUSCAT 00001451  002 OF 002 
 
 
to be so.   Merkel was voicing  the united stand of Europe and 
America.  What are Arabs waiting for?   Why don't they adopt a 
united stand against Israel and its endless crimes against Arabs? 
Continuous Western support for Israel failed to protect it from 
material and moral defeat by Hezbollah, a party that is small 
compared to Arab military power and that continues to modernize and 
develop on the precept that its first enemy is Israel.  The Arab 
divide on the Israeli issue has widened the gap not only between 
Arab governments and their people, but also between political 
parties in the same country, as in Lebanon and Palestine...." 
 
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