VZCZCXRO8060
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #0051/01 0151229
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151229Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8039
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 1143
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RHWSMRC/MCF01 SACCS USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000051 
 
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: NEW STRATEGY FOR IRAQ; RICE'S TRIP TO 
REGION 
 
¶1.  Summary:  "Al-Khaleej" believes that the U.S. will continue its 
"colonial onslaught", in spite of the disasters that it has caused, 
as the price is only at the expense of Arabs.  A columnist in 
"Al-Khaleej" views American foreign policy as very dangerous against 
the unity of Arab countries, whether national or internal unity.  A 
UAE female columnist in "Al-Ittihad" stated that the American 
administration has failed in imposing security in Iraq because 
instead of instating a united national government, it installed a 
Shiite sectarian government.  "Al-Bayan" opines that the purpose of 
Rice's trip to the region is to market the fact that the security of 
the region is linked to America not getting defeated in Iraq, and 
that the U.S. plan is aimed at curbing the extremists in the Middle 
East; while Arabs on the other hand are more concerned with the 
mechanism of implementing this security and feel the U.S. policy in 
over reliant on force.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2.  Under the headline "Strategy of War Contractors", Sharjah-based 
pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) editorialized on 
1/15: 
 
"Bush's new strategy or "the renewed" strategy is for Iraq but it 
actually goes beyond its borders and impacts Arab and non-Arab. Bush 
and his neoconservatives are obliged to continue "their contract" 
during the remainder of his term (2007-2008).  This is despite the 
magnitude of the opposition his American wars have received from 
inside his country and from the world in general.  Those who 
extended the contract on the war in Iraq do not see the world, 
especially the Arab region, except from perspective of power, of 
stabilizing the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and of creating 
conflicts in the Arab region, through ethnic and sectarian strife, 
while releasing false slogans about freedom and democracy...  The 
colonial onslaught of neoconservatives, in spite of the disasters it 
created, still find momentum, through two things: first, the 
completion of its contract, regardless of the price as the price 
will be at the expense of Arabs, and the second: Arabs do not move a 
muscle in order to repel the attack; in fact, there are Arab 
neoconservatives who promote this attack as if it was the promised 
heaven on earth..." 
¶3.  Under the headline "More American floundering", Dr. Adnan 
Al-Sayed Hussein wrote in Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" 
(circulation 90,000) 1/15: 
 
"The American foreign policy is exerting more pressure on Tehran and 
Damascus, under the pretext that they were allowed to export 
terrorism to Iraq.  This policy bears an ideological character as 
the U.S. claims that it faces extremism and tyranny with freedom and 
claims that it is on a mission to screen the area for moderates and 
extremists, between countries that believe in freedom and countries 
that oppose it.  Accordingly, the new Bush plan requests that the 
Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt and Jordan support the 
American project in Iraq during the year 2007 to counter Iranian 
intervention and Syrian influence.  This may result in a disruption 
to the regional neighbors of Iraq after the collapse of the Arab 
regional system... and could yield a sectarian difference between 
Sunnis and Shiites.  If we look at the American foreign policy, we 
can see how dangerous it is against the unity of the Arab countries, 
its national and internal unity, and how the issue of Palestinian 
has been forgotten..." 
¶4.  Under the headline "The American strategy and its premature 
failure", Abdul-Zahra Al Rekabi wrote in Sharjah-based pan-Arab 
daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) 1/15: 
 
"It is expected that the pressure of public opinion on the American 
legislators to withdraw their support for President Bush will 
increase.  They will therefore refuse to ratify the budget as 
required by the new American strategy, which will consequently 
prevent sending additional forces to Iraq." 
¶5.  Under the headline "U.S. strategy in Iraq: Security first", a 
UAE female columnist, Aisha Al-Merri, wrote in Abu Dhabi-based 
Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): 
 
"The American administration failed to impose security in Iraq, and 
instead of inaugurating a government of national unity, it installed 
a Shiite sectarian government.  Instead of the new government 
setting a goal to maintain stability and security, the priorities of 
the Iraqi government were to impose a new fait accompli leading the 
 
ABU DHABI 00000051  002 OF 002 
 
 
way for creating a sectarian Shiite country.  The outcome of the 
American and Iraqi practices are bloodshed and security chaos, which 
has impacted and will continue to reflect on the whole region. 
Today the American administration knows that the Iraqi crisis 
centers on its management of the crisis, and the management of its 
available options.  In spite of the options put forward by the 
Baker-Hamilton's report, which priority was to enhance opportunities 
for national reconciliation and the promotion of security through 
cooperation with Iran and Syria, Bush's administration resorted to a 
tactical trick.  Instead of gradually withdrawing his troops, the 
President decided to increase the number of his troops in order to 
impose his new strategy.  It is actually an old strategy for the 
American President to end his presidential term outside the Iraqi 
quagmire." 
 
 
¶6.  Another editorial in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan" titled 
"A trip of marketing and informing" (circulation 85,000) noted on 
1/15: 
 
"...Rice today comes with another task on the top of Bush's 
priorities: marketing the latest Washington plan for Iraq.  This 
means the Arab region will be demanded to support and facilitate 
this plan's execution.  However this is difficult, if not a big 
problem with a lot of caveats, because the plan is not clear and 
does not differ in substance from what was already tested and led to 
the situation where we have today...  In her marketing, Rice 
circulates the fact that the security of the region is linked to 
America not getting defeated in Iraq, and that the plan is aimed at 
curbing the extremists in the Middle East.  Of course, the countries 
of the region are keen on maintaining their security and on curbing 
extremism.  But at the same time, they are relatively more careful 
on the mechanism of providing this security and stability.  Today 
the region is living in an acute situation.  The language of dealing 
with it through security only further exacerbates the problem." 
 
 
SISON 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MR 15 Jan 2007           UNCLASSIFIED