VZCZCXRO1163
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #0034/01 0141055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141055Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9145
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0515
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0406
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000034 
 
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: U.S. PRESIDENT'S TOUR TO THE REGION. 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: President Bush's tour to the region is garnering 
extensive local media coverage in Oman. The media described his tour 
as "controversial" because of his remarks in support of Israel, in 
local eyes contradicting the purpose of the visit. Both private and 
government dailies expressed the reactions of the observers and 
officials that varied from pessimism and official welcoming.  Online 
commentary focuses on the omission of Oman from the President's 
itinerary and rumors regarding a possible unannounced stop.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
-------- 
COVERAGE 
-------- 
 
¶2. News of U.S. president George W. Bush's state visit to region 
received prominent, above-the-fold front-page coverage with large 
color photos in Omani dailies.  On Thursday, January 10 the 
state-owned Arabic daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) carried photos 
showing warm greetings among the President, Secretary Rice, and 
Israeli officials - contrasted with the image of a Palestinian girl 
crying for the loss of a relative killed in an Israeli raid. On 
Friday, January 11 the privately owned Arabic daily 
"Al-Watan""(circulation 42,000) led with Bush's statement that "The 
barricades cause suffering to Palestinians but are security to the 
Israelis" as its main headline. It stated that President called for 
ending occupation and suggested an international mechanism to 
compensate the refugees and he awaits a peace deal before the end of 
his term. "Al-Watan" also front-paged a photo of from the 
President's arrival ceremony in Bahrain on Sunday January 13. 
Private Arabic, youth-oriented "Al-Shabibah" (circulation 
20,000)reported that Bush and Ehud Olmert spent two hours discussing 
Iran, as well as the President's reaffirmation of full support to 
the security of the "Jewish state." 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
"... A GREAT PUSH TO THE EFFORTS OF PEACE..." 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. On January 12, state-owned daily "Oman" published a positive 
editorial about the President's intention to establish peace in the 
region, under the headline "Bush and another move to empower 
peace": 
 
"Regardless of the President's reaffirmation of his commitment to 
the U.S. policy supporting Israel and its security at all 
circumstances, the President has also stressed not only the 
possibility of reaching a settlement before leaving the White House 
next January, but also very important points about the importance of 
Israel's withdrawal out of the territories it occupied in 1967, and 
on the establishment of a Palestinian State, in addition to 
stressing the need that both sides should negotiate and agree on any 
amendments to the borders, and his pointing out to a mechanism to 
compensate Palestinian refugees.  As such, the U.S. President has 
given a great push to the efforts of peace and the Arab-Israeli 
negotiations.  . . . However, as Abbas noted, the whole matter hangs 
on Israel's readiness to avail the opportunity to reach peace." 
 
--------------------------------- 
BUT "NO LEGAL BASIS" FOR THE PUSH 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Privately owned "Al-Watan" published on the same date an 
editorial," Statements that needed more explanations": 
 
"The US President's suggestions regarding the final solution of the 
Arab-Israeli conflict are not binding to any one.  In the presence 
of international resolutions and clear guidelines for the final 
solution, the President's suggestions on the return to 1967 borders 
and refugees' compensation have no legal bases. That is why the 
Palestinian Authority (Sayib 'Iraiqat) wasted no time to distance 
itself away from Bush statements.  It is duty of All Arabs, not only 
Sayib 'Iraiqat, to reiterate rejecting President Bush attempts to 
drive the main issues in the settlement out of the UN umbrella.  If 
he meant to please Olmert, the Israelis, or the Jewish lobby, this 
does necessarily demolish all the main pillars of the settlement." 
 
 
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U.S. SUPPORT a "GREEN LIGHT" AGAINST GAZA? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. The lead editorial in "Al-Watan" on January 13 continued 
attacking the President's remarks in support of Israel as "A Dualism 
 
MUSCAT 00000034  002 OF 002 
 
 
refused by Arab Conscious:" 
 
"The statements of the American president during his tour were more 
to satisfy Israelis than an intention to express the American 
position toward reaching a compromise between the two states - the 
ostensible purpose of this tour. In every statement and remark in 
this tour by the president we discover a new dimension 
characterizing the U.S. position that fully, absolutely, and 
thoughtlessly supports Israel.  According to Israeli military 
sources, one of the fruits harvested by Israel as a result of this 
tour was getting the U.S. green light to launch a wide scale attack 
against Gaza strip on the pretext of restoring its control under the 
Palestinian Authority.  By itself, this is a notion that contradicts 
with the call for resolving the conflict peacefully." 
 
--------------------------- 
ONLINE:  WHERE'S OUR VISIT? 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Omani online commenters, on both the Arabic and English Sablas 
(www.omania2.net and www.englishsabla.com, respectively), as well as 
on several leading blogs, focused less on the regional impact of the 
President's visit and more on the omission of Oman from his 
itinerary.  Some commenters attributed the oversight to the 
Sultanate's already close relationship with the U.S., while one 
writer pointed out that, given the frequency of his visits, Oman 
must fall in the portfolio of Vice President Cheney.  Several 
posited hopefully that a "secret" visit must be in the offing. 
 
GRAPPO