VZCZCXRO2114
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #0426/01 1210751
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010751Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8158
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0482
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0374
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000426 
 
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: OMANI VIEW OF SYRIA AND IRAN, MAJLIS 
ASH-SHOURA ELECTIONS, OMANI MEDIA CONSTRAINTS 
 
 
SUMMARY: Government-owned "Oman" talks of "new horizons of 
cooperation" with Syria and "firmly rooted" relations with Iran, and 
tells Omani citizens that voting is a "shared responsibility"; 
columnist in privately owned "Al-Watan" criticizes government 
"obstacles" to the proper functioning of Omani media.  "Al-Watan's" 
editor-in-chief is critical of U.S. Iraq policy. Coverage of 
Adhamiya wall in Baghdad, Tobias resignation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------- 
COVERAGE 
-------- 
 
¶2.   There was intense coverage of the Adhamiya wall in Baghdad in 
Omani dailies this week. Political cartoons were skeptical of the 
new U.S. security plan in Baghdad.  On April 27, the back page of 
privately owned "Al-Watan" (circulation 42,000) ran a full-page, 
color spread showing an Iraqi man pushed to the ground by two 
American soldiers, one of whom is pointing a gun at him.  Below the 
photo was a poem by the paper's editor-in-chief, Abd al-Hamid al 
Ta'ie, called "Akh," (which the piece explains is a cry of pain). 
Papers this week also carried reports of U.S. Ambassador Randall 
Tobias's resignation. 
 
--------------------------------- 
OMAN'S RELATIONS WITH IRAN, SYRIA 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. On April 30, state-owned daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) 
published an editorial indicating Oman's attitude toward Syria and 
Iran under the headline, "Strong Relations for the Benefit of the 
Whole Region."  The editorial coincides with recent meetings of 
officials from each country, which were convened in Muscat. 
 
"Yesterday the meetings of the Omani-Syrian joint commission ended, 
and they included negotiations and agreements that opened up new 
horizons of cooperation between the Sultanate and the brotherly 
Syrian Arab Republic... Omani-Iranian relations are firmly-rooted, 
continuously exhibiting wise and far-sighted co-operation, capable 
of protecting mutual interests in all circumstances...in spite of 
the numerous threats and dangers that the region has faced... Given 
the shared interests between the two countries, and the trust, 
frankness, and clarity involved in their relations, and given the 
true, shared desire in using every means possible in order to ensure 
that the region and its people avoid any dangers or unstable 
situations...the Omani-Iranian joint commission represents an 
important aspect of the movement that the region is witnessing, in 
which the Sultanate plays an important role.  At a time when the 
Sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Iran have taken numerous steps 
spanning the past three and a half decades...in the fields of 
economics, trade, oil, transportation, investment, and other things, 
all of which benefit their peoples, the meetings of the 
Omani-Iranian joint commission are yet another addition to these 
areas of cooperation." 
 
----------------------------------- 
ELECTIONS A "SHARED RESPONSIBILITY" 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  On April 25, "Oman" ran an editorial entitled, "Indications of 
the Number of Candidates in Majlis Ash-Shoura Elections": 
 
"Citizens who are able to vote will elect 84 members to the Majlis 
Ash-Shoura to its sixth session.  That means that around ten 
candidates will be competing for each seat in the Majlis 
Ash-Shoura...competition will be stiff.  Laws organize elections, 
and the specific steps and tools involved, but the conscience of the 
Omani citizen and his care for his own interests and that of his 
children in their present and future constitute another obligation 
to participate in the shared responsibility of elections." 
 
---------------------------------- 
"SLAMMED" DOORS HINDER OMANI MEDIA 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. On April 25, "Al-Watan's" columnist Ali Rashid al Matani wrote a 
piece entitled, "Media is the Mirror of the Society": 
 
"Media is the mirror of any society and is playing an important role 
when there is beneficial attention to the cases and problems that it 
brings to light.  However, it is also true that media will not 
develop when obstacles are set before it, and when it lacks the 
opportunity to carry out its role.  [In Oman], there are a lot of 
 
MUSCAT 00000426  002 OF 002 
 
 
sensitivities and rejection of what the media deals with.  The media 
is suffering from [official] secrecy and lack of data, and when it 
tries to attend meetings that deal with the public interest, doors 
are slammed in its face...which hinders its ability to fulfill its 
societal role.  The question presents itself: How can the media 
practice its role in an improper and unhealthy environment." 
 
--------------------------------- 
"OBSTACLES" FOR OMANI JOURNALISTS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. On April 29 in "Al-Watan," al Matani highlighted the improper 
practices of some government officials in dealing with press and 
media personnel in official events such as visits of foreign 
presidents to Oman in a piece called "Scaring the Media": 
 
"When our country hosts a high-level official visitor, our media is 
marginalized to the extent it broadcasts and copies official 
statements from other foreign television channels that escort their 
official representatives.  At the same time, our media people face 
all kind of obstacles even if it is just a matter of taking some 
camera shots.  The journalists are challenged with the protocol 
considerations and other [Omani government[] agencies to such an 
extent that they don't get the chance to meet or take any statements 
from the guests, or practice their job like other other journalists 
do.  This has made Omani journalists give up covering any event or 
high-level official visits to Oman.  These types of practices are 
not part of government's standing policy towards the local media 
institutions and journalists; rather this is malpractice by some 
government agencies which exaggerate their protocol without no care 
for the negative effects on journalists.  These are some of the 
aspects that hinder the development of our media." 
 
GRAPPO