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O 101039Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8009
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1139
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RHWSMRC/MCF01 SACCS USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000033 
 
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 ERELI 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: EXECUTION OF SADDAM/RICE'S VISIT TO MIDDLE 
EAST/BUSH'S "LOSSES" 
 
¶1.  Summary:  A UAE columnist in "Al-Khaleej" discussed the losses 
born by Bush:  "Though pleased with Saddam's execution, Bush will be 
very disappointed when the American project in Iraq fails." 
"Al-Khaleej" front page described Rice's visit to Palestine as "a 
bribe" to get Arabs "to support the Iranian file" and "change the 
conflict from an Arab-Israeli to Arab-Iranian."  A Qatari columnist 
in "Al-Ittihad" was sarcastic about those who considered Saddam a 
martyr -- the columnist considered Saddam's crimes against his 
people as "more heinous than the fact that he was hanged on a holy 
day."  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  Under the headline "The Long American Night", a UAE columnist, 
Dr. Abdul Khaleq Abdulla, wrote a 1/10 op-ed published in the 
Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000): 
 
"Saddam was hanged, but Iraq's knot is now on the neck of President 
Bush.  His problems and concerns increase every day as we begin the 
year 2007.  The number of soldiers killed has exceeded more than 
3,000 and the injured number more than 23,000.  The cost of war is 
now at 500 billion dollars, which is a big burden on the budget, and 
not bearable, especially now that the Democrats in Congress are not 
in the mood to support Bush's adventures in Iraq...  George Bush 
might be pleased because of the execution of Saddam Hussein but the 
President will be very disappointed when the American project in 
Iraq fails...  All of a sudden, all of the options in Iraq are tough 
and painful, and all of the strategies are unrealistic.  With a 
serious drop in his popularity, Bush lives the worst moments of his 
presidency...  The biggest problem the U.S. faces right now is the 
arrogance of power and the absence of focus, in addition to having a 
stubborn President while the U.S. has to make difficult decisions in 
Iraq, and even more difficult decisions in Iran, and other more 
complicated decisions on other world crises...  The world can not 
trust a clueless superpower and can not respect a President who does 
not know the ABCs.  Respect for America is deteriorating worldwide, 
among their friends as well as their enemies...  What's more 
important than the deterioration in respect is a diminishing fear of 
the U.S., as its defeat in Iraq becomes more visible every day." 
 
¶3.  The front page in Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" 
(circulation 90,000) on 1/10 was headlined "Rice carries a 
Palestinian bribe to Arabs in exchange for their support for the 
Iranian nuclear file": 
 
"As Bush announces a new strategy today, Rice carries a Palestinian 
bribe to the Arabs in exchange for their anti-support to the Iranian 
file...  U.S. President George Bush faces, as of today, internal 
confrontation as he announces a new strategy on Iraq, to convince 
the Americans that he learned from the lessons of the past and that 
he will start a new chapter, presenting Iraq as the last battle 
which the U.S. should win. He also starts a public relations 
campaign to change the conflict from Arab-Israeli to Arab-Iranian by 
creating an impression of his seriousness in solving the Palestinian 
case and by exaggerating the [seriousness] of the Iranian nuclear 
file...  To do this, he will send his Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Egypt, Saudi 
Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait.  Rice will also attend the Paris 3 
conference on Lebanon.  It is unlikely that the new Secretary of 
Defense will accompany her.  He might do a tour later.  Among Rice's 
duties in the region is to explain Bush's new strategy on Iraq." 
 
 
¶4.  Under the headline "Saddam, a martyr???  Please don't insult our 
intelligence!" Qatari columnist Dr. Abdul-Hameed Al-Ansari wrote a 
1/10 op-ed in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily 
"Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): 
 
 
"Saddam was the only Arab ruler -- and perhaps the last one -- to be 
executed.  He is also the sole one who was executed on the day of 
joy to Muslims.  Yet we must not forget that he was also an 
'exceptional' Governor in many things, as he was the 'only' ruler 
who launched two wars of aggression, the only ruler who used 
chemical weapons against his people, the only ruler whose name has 
been linked to mass graves, the only ruler who killed imams and 
religious authorities, the 'only' ruler who caused the death of the 
largest number of innocent human beings, the only ruler who ruled 
his people with an iron fist for thirty years and killed his 
 
ABU DHABI 00000033  002 OF 002 
 
 
colleagues, the "only" one who breached the covenants which he 
signed, and lastly, the only one who hit the nerve to write the 
Quran with his absolute blood!  The execution event was an 
exceptional event, but it was so because it was part of the 
exceptional element of the person executed.  I do not know where the 
humiliation lies when people want to punish a person who had 
insulted them through his crimes against them and their neighbors? 
I don't understand how governments consider Saddam's execution as an 
'insult and humiliation' to Arabs and Muslims!  'Insult' -- really 
-- is the steadfastness of tyranny which violates sanctities and 
dignities, tramples wealth, and controls capabilities.  We have the 
right to ask: What happened to the Arab mind?  Is it the shock of 
'timing' that shook their heads and made them loose their entire 
wisdom?  If Tariq Hamid said that the offense was the timing, then 
the conversion of 'Saddam' to a hero or martyr is the greatest 
crime!" 
 
SISON 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MR 10 Jan 2007.doc           UNCLASSIFIED