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OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #0057/01 0151250
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151250Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0289
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 1246
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 000057 
 
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 SREEBNY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: BUSH'S VISIT TO THE UAE 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Press coverage of President Bush's visit has been 
widespread and generally favorable.  Key points including Iran, the 
democracy agenda and Israeli-Palestinian affairs were prominently 
reported in headlines and there have been positive and optimistic 
assessments of the likely impact on U.S.-UAE economic relations, a 
very important local concern following the Dubai Ports World 
controversy.  Critics derided the impact on traffic and observed 
that the President's visit serves American interests and the 
concerns of local leadership, but does not truly further the causes, 
interests or issues that are salient to ordinary Arabs.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
¶2. The President's visit occupied the headlines and front pages of 
all six major papers (Al-Ittihad, Al-Bayan, Al-Khaleej, Gulf News, 
Gulf Today and Khaleej Times), and has been prominently covered by 
local television.  The papers published full page or two-page 
spreads of photos of the President's activities on both days, 
including both formal meetings with leadership and cultural 
activities.  Photographs of the President and Crown Prince Mohammed 
bin Zayed Al Nahyan disucssing falconry during dinner on January 13 
are extremely popular. 
 
¶3. The impact on traffic, however, has turned up as a flashpoint for 
criticism.  Khaleej Times and Gulf News ran photos of the empty 
Sheikh Zayed Road through Dubai, with articles registering strong 
complaints about the paralyzing effect of the President's visit on 
traffic, and arguing that the one-day work stoppage cost Dubai's 
economy an estimated 463 million dirham (about $125 million). 
Dubai-based English daily "Gulf News" (circ. 100,000) devoted three 
inside pages and half of the front page to the traffic jams and road 
blocks in the congested city of Dubai. 
 
¶4. Editorial reaction has likewise been mixed.  Under the headline 
"unwanted President" Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdullah wrote in Sharjah-based 
Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation: 90.000): 
 
"Wherever George Bush goes he is confronted with angry masses and 
demonstrations that condemn his policies, denounce his intransigence 
and oppose his visits.  Bush, who lives his latest days in the White 
House, is fortunate that the UAE is hospitable and peaceful, and 
that its people are tolerant, generous and express their discontent 
silently with minimal media fuss.  The visit of the only superpower 
to the UAE was peaceful and smooth and was received by the 
government with hospitality and courtesy; the majority of the 
people, however, were indifferent to the visit and did not care to 
see Bush on the good land of the UAE. 
 
"All over the world, governments have certain needs and they deal 
with facts on the ground in accordance to their interests; the 
people have their own interests.... Regardless of how strong 
U.S.-UAE relations are, Bush's visit remains a source of concern to 
the people of the UAE and the rest of the world because of Bush's 
intransigence, intentions and intervention in world affairs.  The 
U.S. president is hated all over the world, his popularity has 
declined to unprecedented levels, the American people are [looking 
forward] to seeing him out of the White House and there are attempts 
by Congress to withdraw their confidence [sic] given [his] 
continuous violations of the U.S. Constitution and political and 
military defeats in Iraq. 
 
"The U.S. will remain of interest to the UAE and the rest of the 
small GCC nations.  It is an insurance company providing services to 
a small state that lives in a dangerous region and that has large 
neighbors with expansive and hidden intentions, and expansionist and 
extortionist desires.  Therefore, the U.S. is an insurance company 
that provides services, not necessarily an ally or a friend.  The 
supreme national interests of the UAE dictate maintaining the 
relations with the U.S. in order to get these services.  Bush's 
visit to the UAE underlines the importance of the UAE: the third 
largest oil reserves in the world; the fourth largest reserves of 
gas; and a hub for business and trade hub for a region that reaches 
from Mauritania in the west and India in the east, to Central Asia 
in the north and South Africa in the south.  If Bush has come here 
merely to seek more political privileges or to push for the 
conclusion of a failed free trade agreement, then he is unwelcome." 
 
¶5.  Editorial in Dubai-based "Gulf News" 1/15 read: 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00000057  002 OF 003 
 
 
"America Must Listen to Its Friends: Bush's blinkered vision is 
driving a wedge between the US and its Arab Allies" 
 
"America has to learn to listen to its friends in the Middle East, 
and should stop lecturing them from a prepared script.  George W. 
Bush's historic visit to the region is the first time a sitting US 
president has come to the UAE, and it has given him a tremendous 
opportunity to hear from the leaders and the people of the region 
how to tackle the region's serious issues. 
 
"Bush's top priority was Iran, which he described as 'the world's 
leading state sponsor of terror.' He said Iran was 'undermining 
peace in Lebanon and Palestine by aiding terrorist groups like 
Hezbollah...and Hamas.'  And despite the recent National 
Intelligence Estimate that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons 
program, Bush said that Iran's refusal to be transparent on its 
nuclear plans was destabilizing the region. 
 
"Bush's failure to see beyond his own narrow perspective is driving 
a wedge between America and its Arab allies in the Middle East. 
Hamas has won elections in Palestine, and is a popular and 
legitimate political movement, which cannot be ostracized. 
Hezbollah is an established and important part of the Lebanese 
political scene, and needs to be included as a full part of the 
Lebanese political dialogue. 
 
"Iran itself cannot be ignored.  It has to be treated as a normal 
part of the political framework in the gulf, despite areas of 
disagreement.  As Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal said, 
'We have relations with Iran and we speak to them.  If we sense a 
threat...we will speak with them.' 
 
"But while Iran may be high on Bush's agenda for the region, the 
Arab states have other priorities.  The United States has to reverse 
the massive damage it did to Iraq by failing to have any plans for 
nation-building after the 2003 invasion.  The Gulf states have 
repeated many times that they are willing to support any regional 
initiative to kick start political development in Iraq, but it has 
to incorporate all political parties from Iraq and not ignore those 
who are against the American presence. 
 
The longest standing Arab priority remains the tragedy of the 
on-going occupation of Palestine.  If any peace talks are to be 
taken seriously, Israel has to immediately stop expanding its 
illegal colonies, and eventually commit to removing them.  This is 
not happening and that emphasizes the emptiness of the Annapolis 
process. 
 
Bush is in Saudi Arabia today, where he will spend time with King 
Abdullah, the author of the Abdullah Plan, which offers complete 
peace with Israel for complete withdrawal.  Bush would do well to 
listen to his host and adopt the plan. 
 
Finally, throughout his trip Bush has been repeating his support for 
justice and freedom in the region, which he puts it in the context 
of democracy and personal liberty.  No one can disagree with support 
for justice and freedom, but the US president cannot insist on it in 
some places and then fail to support it in Palestine." 
 
¶6.  Abdul Ghaffar Hussain also wrote in "Gulf News": 
 
"Bush's UAE Visit is Significant: as long as the U.S. acknowledges 
and respects our policies, Bush's visit must be welcomed." 
 
"The visit by U.S. President George W. Bush is a landmark event in 
the history of the UAE.  The country is gaining increasing 
significance in the world due to its reputation and its political, 
architectural, economic and social development. 
 
"The UAE is similar to the United States in terms of its 
multinational and multicultural community, and hence, there is no 
one in the world who does not look forward to visiting the UAE and 
acquainting himself/herself with its developments. [...] The U.S. is 
based on the diversity of its cultures within a framework of the 
American cultural identity. The UAE also enjoys a high reputation 
for its solid and inter-faith tolerant community, which accepts 
anyone who comes to the country with noble personal and social 
goals, regardless of his cultural, ethnic and religious background. 
 
ABU DHABI 00000057  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
[...] 
 
"The UAE always tops the list of most important countries for world 
leaders and officials who visit the region, and Bush's visit, which 
is the first visit ever by and American president to the UAE, gains 
special significance. 
 
"The visit, besides contribution g further to the UAE's reputation, 
gives the country more credit in the international arena.  It is 
very important to welcome Bush because he is the president of the 
world's greatest country with which the UAE has unique relations and 
interests. 
 
"Despite political differences between the UAE and the U.S. due to 
its supportive stand of Israel and the way it handles the 
Palestinian dossier at the expense of the rights of the Palestinian 
people, the UAE should invest this visit in favor of Gulf countries, 
as well as of Palestinian and Arab causes and issues. 
 
"It is wrong to think that the U.S. is not a friend of Arabs, or 
cannot become a friend; because the U.S. is a state of institutions 
and democracy, and its people is a diverse mix of various cultural, 
ethnic and religious backgrounds. 
 
"Also, there are eight million Arab and Muslim Americans, who are 
concerned about the issues of the Arab and Islamic worlds, and 
millions of non-Arab Americans who give special attention to Arab 
issues. 
 
"There are also many human rights and charity organizations in the 
US which provide assistance to suppressed and needy people all over 
the world with no consideration to their ethnic backgrounds.  And 
this is another point in common between the UAE and the U.S. 
 
[...] 
 
"The UAE people are eager to live in peace with their neighbors and 
the rest of the world, and have no interest in making enemies or in 
siding with any aggression or offensive. Thus, we must demand the US 
to support our sound policy and maintain our moderate principles, 
and I believe the visit of Bush truly mirrors Washington's 
acceptance of this wise and moderate policy. As long as the US 
acknowledges and respects our policies, Bush's visit must be 
welcomed in and appropriate manner that reflects the significance of 
the visit and the guest." 
 
SISON