VZCZCXRO5268
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHRH #0072/01 0171740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171740Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7437
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2872
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0824
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 000072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; INR/R/MR; INR/NESA, RRU-NEA; 
NEA/RA; PA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
LONDON FOR SREEBNY 
DUBAI FOR PELLETIER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR PREL OIIP SA
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION:  BUSH'S VISIT TO THE 
MIDDLE EAST 
 
 
RIYADH 00000072  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Saudi print media has focused over the past 
week on President Bush's visit to the region and more 
specifically on his meetings with the Israeli and Palestinian 
leaders and his activities in Riyadh during his January 14-16 
stay in the Kingdom.  Reports on the President's official 
meetings and other activities received widespread coverage 
with banner headlines splashed across front pages. 
Prominent, well-selected color photos and inside pages filled 
with additional detail further supplemented the extensive 
coverage.  Headlines highlighted regional conflict and 
security issues.  Major editorial commentary focused on the 
Middle East Peace Process, including skeptical viewpoints, 
and Iran and the trip's historical context were also 
dominant.  Energy, Iraq, and visa themes appeared within the 
context of the visit, but these issues were additional 
themes.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  Front page headlines featured regional conflict 
resolution and security issues, mainly the Middle East Peace 
Process and Gulf security.  Key headlines during the visit 
include: 
 
January 14, 2008 
"Bush:  Iran is responsible for terrorism in the region" 
(Al-Watan) 
"Bush from the UAE:  Iran is the leading sponsor of terrorism 
in the world" (Al-Watan) 
"The U.S.-Saudi summit discussed today Gulf security and the 
crises of the region" (Okaz) 
 
January 15, 2008 
"King Abdullah and Bush discuss establishment of a 
Palestinian state and stability of the region" (Okaz) 
 
January 16, 2008 
"The U.S. President warned Iran of provocation and urged for 
increase of oil production" (Al-Shark al-Awsat) 
"The U.S. looks to the Kingdom's support to revitalize the 
delayed peace process" (Okaz) 
"King Abdullah and President Bush resume talks on energy and 
regional issues" (Al-Riyadh) 
 
¶3.  Editorial commentary focused on Saudi Arabia's role in 
advancing peace in the Middle East, the effect of Israeli 
security operations on the peace process momentum, Iran and 
Gulf security, and a pessimistic outlook that appeared in 
some reports and opinion pieces.  Finally, but significantly, 
a key editorial framed the historic context of this visit in 
terms of what it should accomplish to make history.  Block 
quotes follow. 
 
"The road to peace" 
Okaz Arabic daily opined January 16:  "It is natural for the 
Kingdom to endeavor towards the establishment of a just and 
comprehensive peace in the Middle East, so that the bloodshed 
of the innocent is stopped and rights are restored to their 
rightful owners, guaranteeing a peace that puts out all wars, 
nullifies grudges, and turns this hot zone into a land of 
peace once more.  The Kingdom has been working on this 
endeavor for some time now, and namely through the Arab 
initiative that was proposed by King Abdullah and supported 
by all Arab countries without exception.  With that, the 
Kingdom and all the Arab counties have set the path towards 
peace and have determined its characteristics very 
accurately....  Today, President Bush is asking for the 
Kingdom's support in reviving the fledgling peace process.... 
 The Kingdom continues and will continue without ceasing to 
exert its efforts in favor of this noble goal. 
 
What is required is for the U.S. administration to speed up 
the momentum of the peace process on the ground and to 
convince the party concerned, namely Israel, to opt for that. 
 It is not feasible that while the Riyadh summit meeting is 
looking to revive the peace process, the Israeli forces 
launch heavy attacks on Gaza, killing and injuring many 
Palestinians.  Is this a conduct that leads to peace?  Does 
this give a genuine indication of the path that leads to a 
settlement and to stability?  Or is Israel still thinking 
about peace in its very own way?  The requirement now is for 
Israel to determine its true direction and for the U.S. 
administration to put a stop to what is happening on the 
ground so that the opportunity does not escape us and we end 
 
RIYADH 00000072  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
up at square one again." 
 
"Gaza aggression is a message to Bush" 
Al-Watan Arabic daily editorialized January 16:  "Israel 
could have postponed its aggression against Gaza yesterday 
until President George Bush left the country....  But Israeli 
officials wanted to send an urgent message to President Bush, 
mainly telling him that the Annapolis decisions and all that 
has been achieved during his talks in occupied Jerusalem and 
Ramallah are nothing more than ink on paper, and that, the 
final status must happen according to Israel's viewpoint, 
which, since the usurpation of Palestine in 1948 to this day, 
has not departed from murder and aggression.  The fall of the 
Palestinian victims yesterday was addressed to and for the 
benefit of the American President." 
 
"The emperor's tour" 
Editor Jamil Al-Dhiabi in Al-Hayat said January 14:  "Bush is 
trying during his current tour to convince himself and the 
countries of the region of the genuine will and desire to 
make changes in the Middle East.  He may be serious about 
that, but at the end of the day he is not going to do 
anything and will not change anything.  The only change that 
will take place will be in the words, the diplomatic 
meanings, and the terminologies, just like when the President 
urged Israel to end the 'occupation,' which is the first time 
that the U.S. administration uses the word 'occupation' in 
describing Israel's control on territories it occupied in the 
1967 war.  The people of the region do not want new 
terminology, but concrete and core change that alters the 
tragic scene....  Will Bush be able to change the tragic 
scene and grim atmosphere before the end of his term?  Of 
course not, and he will definitely leave the White House just 
as he came in the first time.  This is just a promotional 
presidential tour in the mentality of the emperor who rules 
the world, even if the headlines and declared objectives are 
different." 
 
"Bush's tour:  Is it about Iran or peace?" 
Al-Riyadh Arabic daily editorialized January 15:  "There is a 
prevailing assumption in the Middle East during the current 
Bush tour that the Arab countries are focused primarily on 
the increasing Iranian threat and that the attendance of 
these countries at the Annapolis meeting last November was 
due to their fear of Iran.  This assumption was reflected in 
Bush's speech in the UAE, but may prove to be a very costly 
wrong assumption.  Israel and the Bush administration are 
focusing on standing up to Iran's nuclear capabilities.  The 
Arabs, on the other hand, see this from a different point of 
view.  They are using the Iran issue to lure Israel and the 
United States into a serious peace process between Israel and 
the Palestinians.  Moreover, the Arabs have reached the 
conclusion that Iranian threats find more resonance in 
Washington and Tel Aviv than do the efforts to achieve peace. 
 There is no doubt that many of the Arab governments are 
worried about Iran and its role in Iraq.  Yet, the course of 
worry for Israel and the United States vis-a-vis Iran is 
quite different.  Israel views Iran's nuclear activity as a 
threat to its security and Iran's support to Hizbollah and 
Hamas as a military challenge.  The Arab countries' concern 
about support for Hamas and Hizbollah among the Arab people 
is much more than their concern about the military power of 
Hamas and Hizbollah.  Moreover, their concern about Iran's 
increasing influence in the Arab world exceeds that of 
military confrontation with Iran.  Additionally, Arab 
countries view Iran as a harmful force but not as a main 
reason for confrontation, since the majority of Arab 
governments believe that the feelings of extremism and 
antagonism are mainly the outcome of the lack of peace 
between the Arabs and Israel.  This viewpoint was not very 
popular in Washington...unlike the Iran issue which is 
clearly popular." 
 
"For Bush's tour to be historic" 
Al-Watan Arabic daily commented January 15:  "President 
Bush's visit, the first to the Middle East during his two 
terms, with the exception of the visits he made to Iraq, may 
be described as 'historic.'  The visit that started in 
occupied Palestine and then the Palestinian Territories was 
historic for the occupation (Israel), especially since he 
announced Israel's right to turn it into a state for the 
Jews, and what accompanies that in terms of new migration for 
 
RIYADH 00000072  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
those remaining Arabs.  In fact, President Bush raised the 
fears of Palestinians and countries hosting refugees when he 
announced that the right of return could be resolved with 
financial compensation....  The Arabs hope and in fact demand 
that Bush's visit to the Middle East be historic in the sense 
that a solution to the sixty-year long Palestinian issue 
could be found....  What President Bush will get out of his 
meeting with officials in the Kingdom will continue to be 
subject to the nature and fate of the Arab initiative.  If he 
ignores and bypasses this initiative, his tour will not be 
considered a historic one." 
 
¶4.  Conclusion and comment.  Saudi media coverage of 
President Bush's visit clearly focused on two main agenda 
items, the Middle East Peace Process and Gulf security. 
Based on the widespread coverage, the President's visit 
certainly revived local interest and enthusiasm for advancing 
peace initiatives.  The media suggested solid buy-in with key 
players in the region on Middle East peace, but skepticism 
about motives, and genuine will, also featured.  Most 
significantly, the heavy news coverage and healthy commentary 
generated by the President's comments directed towards Iran 
indicated Saudis continue to closely watch their Gulf 
neighbor with concern.  End conclusion and comment. 
FRAKER