VZCZCXRO8082
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #1413/01 2351353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231353Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9584
RHMFIUU/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1211
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001413 
 
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: IRAQ AND THE U.S. OCCUPATION; REPORT ON 
TENET; BUSH'S PEACE CONFERENCE 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: A UAE writer in "Al-Khaleej" opines that America has 
become bored as a result of its failure to accomplish its objectives 
in Iraq.  "Al-Khaleej" does not believe that dragging other 
countries, such as Britain, the U.N. and recently France, into Iraq 
will help solve the Iraqi crisis and that the only solution is a 
programmed withdrawal of occupation forces.  An Iraqi Kurdish writer 
in "Al-Ittihad" refers to a U.S. academic report that examined Iraq 
scenarios, post 2010.  The report suggests the creation of a new 
dictator, much like Saddam Hussein, and the writer wonders how this 
new model would be accepted by Iraqis.  The writer questions how 
valuable this new dictator will be when he cannot stop the Americans 
from stealing Iraq's wealth.  "Al-Khaleej" views Bush's peace 
conference, which is supposedly aimed at reaching a settlement 
between Israel and the Palestinians, as doing nothing but buying 
time for Israeli Generals in order to prepare for new catastrophes 
against Arabs.  The editorial in "Gulf News" believes that the CIA 
Inspector General's report unfairly makes George Tenet a scapegoat 
because it singled him out as incompetent.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2. Under the headline "American boredom", UAE national, Dr. Abdullah 
Al-Suweiji, wrote 08/20 in "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000): 
 
"America is bored as a result of its failure to accomplish its 
objectives, as well as the no-war and the no-peace status in Iraq, 
after attempting to get the CIA and the Mossad involved in the 
terrorist attacks in Iraq, in order to drag Iraq to a 
civil/sectarian war." 
 
"The only way out of American boredom is to establish a Palestinian 
state and resolve the problem of the Palestinian refugees, stop its 
double standards and its support for the Jewish state, and build a 
democratic system and not a sectarian system in Iraq and oust the 
"Israeli" Mossad from the Iraqi territories.  Otherwise American 
boredom will increase, and the quagmire will become like a "Bermuda 
Triangle" in the Middle East, swallowing anything that approaches 
it." 
 
 
¶3. Under the headline "Entry, exit, and a miracle solution [in 
Iraq]", the editorial in Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" 
(circulation 90,000) 08/22 read: 
 
"It seems that Iraq is becoming a place of entry and exit...   Paris 
is the latest to enter Iraq, before that UN was allowed by the 
occupation to enter the country...  Britain is about to exit, and 
that will be a big slap in the face of the American administration" 
 
"No matter who enters Iraq and who leaves it, nothing will help Iraq 
and Iraqis but a programmed exit of the occupation and an entry of 
the Iraqis to their country to re-establish peace and security." 
 
 
¶4.  Under the headline "Who is the next Iraqi Dictator?", an Iraqi 
Kurdish writer and consultant in science and technology, Mohammed 
Aref, wrote a 08/23 op-ed in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official 
daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000): 
 
"The U.S. invaded Iraq in order to eliminate Saddam and spread 
democracy in Iraq.  A U.S. academic report [ed. associated with a 
group at New York University] by U.S. political scientists suggests 
that the only solution to Iraq is that the next Iraqi president 
should be a dictator.  However, what is the use of a dictator when 
he cannot stop the Americans from stealing Iraq's wealth (Pentagon 
alone took 300 trillion dollars)?  The report implicitly believes 
that the Iraqi army should be strong in order to revolt against the 
Iraqi president and impose a new dictator on Iraq.  How can a new 
model that recreates Saddam's rule be accepted by Iraqis? 
 
¶5. Under the headline "Tyrannical intentions of the aggression", the 
editorial in Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 
90,000) 08/23 read: 
 
"Bush's peace conference that will suggest settlement between Israel 
and the Palestinians is doing nothing but buying time for Israeli 
Generals.  The talks among Israelis every now and then on their war 
preparation against Syria, Gaza and Lebanon and the U.S. military 
 
ABU DHABI 00001413  002 OF 002 
 
 
aid of 30 billion dollars to Israel shows that Israelis are 
manipulating the U.S. with settlement slogans in order to prepare 
for new catastrophes against Arabs." 
 
 
¶6. Under the headline "The old blame game again", the editorial in 
Dubai-based English daily Gulf News 08/23 reads: 
 
"... For the CIA Inspector General to single out the former chief, 
George Tenet, as being - for want of a better word - incompetent, 
then it would seem that a scapegoat is being made for what is 
apparent to all." 
 
"The CIA Inspector General's report tells us nothing that was not 
already known - other than to castigate Tenet so severely (and 
unfairly).  Aware of the faults within the organization, remedies 
have already been put in place, the main one being the establishment 
of a Homeland Security Department.  Yet even this new body looks as 
if it will be just another bureaucratic level between operatives and 
decision-makers." 
 
 
 
 
QUINN