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DE RUEHAD #0528/01 0871400
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O 281400Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8663
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 1168
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RHWSMRC/MCF01 SACCS USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000528 
 
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:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The editorial in "Al-Khaleej" wonders about the sudden 
U.S. interest in the Arab Peace Initiative, five years from it's 
declaration.  The editorial concludes that if the U.S. continues to 
deceive Arabs and not forcefully stop Israeli terrorism, then the 
U.S. will simply be wasting its time.  The "Al-Bayan" editorial adds 
that Rice knows that what is required is to pressure Israel and not 
control the talks.  A UAE columnist in "Al-Ittihad" discusses the 
declaration of King Abdullah who called on Arabs to deal with other 
nations as peers.  He opined that doing so first requires Arabs to 
agree with each other on all issues and to put their disputes aside 
when forming their positions and decisions.  Another UAE columnist 
in "Al-Ittihad" deemed this summit the last chance for Arabs to have 
their words translated into actions.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2.  Under the headline "What is the secret behind US sudden 
wake-up?", Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 
90,000) editorialized on 03/28: 
 
"The Arab Peace Initiative was drawn five years ago, how come 
America detects it only now?  What is the secret behind this sudden 
interest on the part of war criminal Ehud Olmert, whose hands are 
still stained with Palestinian blood?  The stalemated Rice must have 
sat alone and started to think and think and ask herself about the 
reasons behind her failure to resolve the "conflict" in the region 
despite the many attempts that have been made over the decades. 
Suddenly she found the solution, which is to restore confidence 
between the Arabs and "Israel".  How?  By having Arabs extend their 
hands to Israelis, reconciling with them and then acknowledging 
their existence, all this under the "promise" made by Bush which he 
did not and will not fulfill...  If the U.S. continues to deceive 
Arabs in this way and not forcefully stop Israeli terrorism or allow 
the Palestinians to live a decent life in their own land, then the 
U.S. will simply be wasting its time." 
 
 
¶3.  The 03/28 editorial in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan," 
(circulation 85,000) read: 
 
"Rice knows well that what is required is to pressure Israel and not 
control the talks.  This was the persuasion of American official 
such as Zbigniew Brzezinski who believed that Tel Aviv will never 
reach an acceptable settlement without pressure from Washington.  If 
Rice and the U.S. administration are serious in their efforts, they 
must deal positively with this development as of today." 
 
 
¶4.  Under the headline "Riyadh Declaration: Arab Parity Summit", a 
UAE columnist, Mohammed Al-Hammadi, wrote a 03/28 op-ed in Abu 
Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 
65,000): 
"The declaration of King Abdullah the second called on Arabs to deal 
with other nations as their peers.  The idea of dealing with other 
countries of the world in parity is what Arabs really need now so as 
to be able to present their cases.  The question, however, is 
whether the Arab leaders attending the summit agree among themselves 
on all the issues or at least on most of them.  Will they put their 
disputes aside when they announce their positions and decisions on 
issues that may decide their destiny?  Can they unify their position 
to become one entity against the international forces?  This summit 
could be historic, if Arabs succeeded in putting the Arab peace 
initiative into effect and apply it in reality, despite the absence 
of some Arab leaders. 
¶5.  Under the headline "The last-chance Summit", UAE columnist, Dr. 
Mohd. Khalfan Al-Sawafi wrote 03/28 in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic 
semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad": 
"This summit is the last chance for Arabs to have their words 
translated into actions and implement new decisions. This summit is 
different from all of its precedents as current problems, challenges 
and players are different." 
 
 
¶6.  Under the headline "Summit's Expectations: The essence of 
success and failure", Egyptian columnist Muhammad Al-Saeed Idrees, 
wrote a 03/28 op-ed in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily 
"Al-Ittihad": 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00000528  002 OF 002 
 
 
"If the summit fails to find solutions for the majority of the Arab 
crises then it will leave all of its issues in the hands of the 
international system, which means the imposition of unjust decisions 
on the Arabs." 
 
 
¶7.  Under the headline "Rice's codes", columnist Ahmad Amorabai 
wrote a 03/28 op-ed in Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan: 
 
"Rice's codes do not take a lot of effort to decipher.  The word 
"reconciliation" with Israel actually means the unconditional Arab 
recognition of Israel.  All American political fundamentals are 
actually Israeli ones...  Each trip Rice takes to the region and the 
statements she makes only show how much she ridicules the Arab 
mind." 
 
 
SISON