VZCZCXRO7740
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #0281/01 1061005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151005Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9478
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0526
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0419
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000281 
 
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: Oman Media Reaction: Gaza Blockade; Anniversary of Iraqi 
War; Punishing Palestinians. 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  State daily "Oman" continues to focus on Israel's 
blockade of Gaza and on Palestinian suffering, calling for dialogue 
between Hamas and Fatah. It also condemned not only the Israeli 
collective punishment against Palestinian civilians, but also 
condemned the silence of the international community, calling it 
"Political Hypocrisy". Private Arabic daily "Al-Watan" wrote on the 
fifth of the Iraqi war and the worsening of the situation, calling 
all parties to learn from what is happening there. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------- 
IRAQ IS "EVERYONE'S FALL" 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  On April 9, the privately owned Arabic "Al-Watan" (circulation 
42,000) wrote "On the Fifth Anniversary of Everyone's Fall": 
 
"Five years ago, there was silence and anticipation for the 
implementation of the American-Israeli goal to destroy Iraq in 
satisfaction of their feelings of revenge from their enemy... Did 
they achieve their goal? Perhaps, but at what price? Who paid most 
of it? We believe that the Arabs paid more. Americans shed a lot of 
their blood, as well... The American right wing thought their 
military path of destruction would last only weeks;  however, 
yesterday saw a bitter and deadly hearing in the congress from the 
American commander Petraeus and the American Ambassador in Baghdad, 
Crocker, looking for answers to questions about the causes rocket 
attacks on the well-protected Green Zone in Central Baghdad, and the 
reasons for failure to establish security from South Basra to the 
north of Mosul after five years... After five years, there is still 
fear in Iraq, but also hope -- that everyone will learn from the 
death that is taking place every day there." 
 
------------------------------------ 
PALESTINIANS: "UNIFICATION OF RANKS" 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. Government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" (circulation 38,000) called 
for national dialogue and reconciliation to save the Palestinians on 
April 10, "Gaza Blockade and National Dialogue": 
 
"What is happening to the Palestinian people in Gaza as result of 
the blockade should not continue and needs to be addressed quickly 
to end their suffering in terms of both daily life and security. 
There is a need to end Israeli conduct against Palestinian people. 
The talk by Hamas to break the embargo requires Palestinian 
mobilization of all energies and would also require adherence to the 
agreement between Hamas and Fatah signed in Yemen, beginning a 
national unity project between the brothers to achieve all national 
goals, based on freedom, independence, and living with dignity. 
Israel has exploited the differences between Hamas and Fatah and 
attacked Gaza; hence, the biggest losers were the Palestinians. 
Therefore, national dialogue is more important and is the primary 
option out of the current dilemma. Palestinian leaders should seek 
reconciliation and start the process of unification of ranks to 
stand up against Israeli planes." 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
"INTERNATIONAL HYPOCRISY" TOWARD ISRAEL 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  "Al-Watan" also despaired on April 11 that the international 
community would take any action to stop Israel calling "Collective 
Punishment" a "Slap in the Face of the International Community": 
 
"The most that can be said about the policy of collective punishment 
practiced by Israel in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is that it 
is a repeated and strong slap in the face of the international 
community, whenever Israel resorts to this immoral offence, 
condemned by every country in the world. However, when it comes to 
Israel, all eyes goes blind.  All know that the attacks are 
committed without warning on women, children, or elderly people when 
confrontation should take place only with involved armed sides. 
However, every time there is an attack against Israel, the Israeli 
side takes its destructive machine and face unarmed civilians, 
tearing houses over the heads of their owners and killing children. 
Everyone is aware that the depth of the Israeli crisis is that they 
no longer know how to face their opponents except by resorting to 
collective punishment. However, such crimes against children and 
women no longer raise the international community in the current 
state of political hypocrisy toward Israel by its major supporters 
in Europe and the United States." 
 
MUSCAT 00000281  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
GRAPPO