VZCZCXRO1935
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #0294/01 0511248
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201248Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8357
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 1158
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RHWSMRC/MCF01 SACCS USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000294 
 
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: IIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: LEBANON/RICE MEETING/IRAQ 
 
¶1. Summary:  The editorial in "Al-Khaleej" wondered how Bush could 
expect to win Arabs' or Iraqis' trust when he is not able to win the 
trust of U.S. Senators.  The editorial in "Al-Khaleej" opines that 
all that the United States does in the region is for Israel.  The 
editorial in "Al-Bayan" views the cancellation of the joint press 
conference in the wake of Secretary Rice's meeting with the 
Palestinian president as an indicator of the presence of deep 
differences between the two sides as long as the U.S. administration 
insists on Hamas fulfilling Israel's impossible demands. 
¶2.  Under the headline "Iraq's tragedy", Sharjah-based pan-Arab 
daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) editorialized on 2/20: 
"...Iraq today is a Bush-production tragedy.  No security.  No 
safety.  No services such as education, health and housing. 
Deprivation is becoming commonplace and even an endemic disease in 
the Iraqi community.  The image of Iraq today is unarguable evidence 
of how the mistakes of politicians can cause disasters and tragedies 
to other nations". 
 
 
¶3.  Under the headline "Lebanon in the American cross-fire", 
Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) 
editorialized on 2/19: 
 
"...In light of Rice's positions, it can be concluded that all 
efforts exerted by Arab and regional parties (Saudi Arabia, Iran and 
the Arab League) to reach an acceptable settlement on a no win-loose 
basis to the present Lebanese crisis are worthless and futile as 
long as Lebanon is chosen to be placed on America's "frontline" 
against extremism.  The United States has put Lebanon in the 
front-lines against Lebanon's own internal dissensions on which it 
works to fuel and aims at achieving its goal of "constructive 
chaos".  It seeks to have constructive chaos through its new 
strategy and will apply it to any other Arab country that Washington 
sees as an obstacle...  All of what the United States does in the 
region is for Israel...  The U.S. uses "constructive chaos" as an 
operational arm originally devised by Israel in order to weaken and 
fragment the strong opposition inside and around the region. 
¶4.  Under the headline "Is it Bush or the Arabs who should be 
patient?" a columnist, Jaafar Mohamed Ahmed, wrote a 02/20 op-ed in 
Sharjah-based pan-Arab daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000): 
 
"...If the U.S. House of Representatives, which represents the 
American people, does not trust Bush's strategies, but rather urges 
him to review them and to bring the American soldiers back to their 
families and homes, how can Bush then expected Iraqis in particular, 
and Arabs in general, to believe and trust him.  This is especially 
true when all of his claims and pretexts used to justify the 
invasion and occupation of Iraq have turned out to be baseless?  May 
God help the region and all Arabs and give them patience with 
Bush!!" 
 
¶5.  The editorial in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan" titled "The 
tripartite meeting: There is no longer space for further blackmail" 
(circulation 85,000) noted on 2/19: 
 
"The cancellation of the joint press conference in the wake of 
Secretary Rice's meeting with the Palestinian president indicates 
 
SIPDIS 
the presence of deep differences between the two sides as long as 
the U.S. administration keeps insisting that Hamas fulfill Israel's 
impossible demands.  Although the issue of the Palestinian 
Liberation Organization to negotiate with Israel was agreed upon in 
Mecca's meeting, the re-raising of this issue was meant to mine the 
meeting today.  It also means that Washington and Israel are still 
playing games of blackmail by demanding the impossible from 
Palestine and then holding it responsible for failure.  After 
Mecca's agreement, the ball is in the U.S. court.  The Palestinian 
side did what was required of it." 
 
 
SISON 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00000294  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MR 20 Feb 2007           UNCLASSIFIED