VZCZCXRO9506
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #0434/01 1661026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141026Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9682
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0540
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0428

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 000434 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, G/TIP AND INR/R/MR 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM OIIP SMIG KPAO ELAB KCRM KMDR MU
SUBJECT: SPECIAL OMAN MEDIA REACTION: BLASTING THE TRAFFICKING 
IN PERSONS REPORT 
 
REF: A. MUSCAT 425 
¶B. MUSCAT 426 
¶C. MUSCAT 418 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Omani media, public and private alike and in all 
outlets, highlighted the strong official response to the 2008 
Trafficking in Persons Report (Refs A, B), as made public in 
comments on June 10 by Foreign Ministry Secretary General 
Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi via a text released by the official 
Oman News Agency (ONA; full English text in Para 7).  In tones 
significantly harsher than the light coverage immediately 
following the TIP Report's release (Ref C), all outlets hewed 
to the line set by ONA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------- 
COVERAGE 
-------- 
 
¶2.  The government's strong response was front-paged in all 
seven Omani dailies on June 11, with headlines such as 
"Sultanate Rejects US Report on Human Trafficking" (private 
English daily "Oman Tribune"), "Shura Council Urges Washington 
'Stop the Blackmail'/Sultanate Summons American Ambassador to 
Give Official Statement" (private Arabic daily "Al Zaman"), 
and "Official Statement Refuses Content of Report / Sultanate 
Objects to Report of the American Foreign Ministry on Human 
Trafficking / Badr bin Hamed: Misleading Information and 
Untrue Claims / Request to Revise the Report to Reflect the 
Real Picture" (state Arabic daily "Oman").  Coverage in all 
outlets was drawn directly from the ONA text, with editorials 
(block quotes below) following its aggrieved tone.  The 
blanket coverage on June 11 of the Omani response follows and 
builds on heavy coverage June 10 of the GCC ministerial 
council's reaction to the TIP report. 
 
---------------------------- 
"FALSE AMERICAN ACCUSATIONS" 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  Private daily "Al-Watan" (circulation 42,000, June 11) 
asks "When Will the False American Accusations Stop?": 
 
"The American administration insists on proving to the world 
that it does not deserve any creditability.  It loses that 
creditability when it tries to classify people either as 
righteous or wrong based on its own false values. America 
deliberately defames peaceful countries, even those that are 
its friends. 
 
The TIP report issued by the State Department has classified 
Oman as a trafficker for two years consecutively.  False 
reports that insult and slander reflect their own 
shortsightedness and ignore Oman's legal and regulatory 
developments. 
 
All the drafters of this report need to do is walk in the 
streets of any Omani city and ask about religious and other 
freedoms. On what basis does the American State Department 
have the right to evaluate the behaviors of others, especially 
when its own behavior does not meet such standards?" 
 
------------------- 
"A FUTILE EXERCISE" 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  "Al-Watan" sister paper "Oman Tribune" (private English 
daily, circulation 8,000), also editorialized, under an 
ominous quote from poet Matthew Arnold: "He bears the seed of 
ruin in himself". 
 
"The US State Department has in the past censured some of the 
GCC states on a number of other issues without knowing the 
truth about many things.  These reports too have caused 
consternation.  The Americans and other western countries must 
realize that the GCC countries have distinct cultures and 
traditions very different from theirs, having deep roots in 
Islam.  And they are proud of it.  Any attempt to change them 
is a futile exercise that will be viewed with abhorrence.  The 
western countries should mind their own business and 
concentrate on rooting out the evils and inequities in their 
society." 
 
------------------------- 
TV AND RADIO FALL IN LINE 
------------------------- 
 
MUSCAT 00000434  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶5.  Coverage of the official TIP reaction dominated television 
and radio news on June 10, with Arabic and English broadcasts 
leading with a verbatim reading of the ONA statement.  In the 
case of Oman TV's English broadcast, the translation had 
clearly been rushed to the studio and loaded in the 
teleprompter without review, as it was extremely poorly 
translated even by local standards (to the visible 
discomfiture of the news reader).  Coverage continued through 
the morning of June 11. 
 
------------------------------- 
ONLINE:  "BLACKMAIL" AND "LIES" 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Online reaction has been predictably negative, with 
discussions on all popular Arabic fora attracting many readers 
and numerous posters.  Typical reactions include demands for 
the expulsion of the Ambassador and criticism of perceived 
American unfairness to Oman, saying reports such as TIP are 
"blackmail" from "retail shops sold to the highest bidder." 
Posters denounced U.S. "lies" and praised the Omani response 
as "an honorable action", adding "our government has the right 
to protest."  "It's time to say No to America!" concluded one 
poster. 
 
----------------- 
THE OFFICIAL TEXT 
----------------- 
 
¶7.  Following is the full English text of the Oman News Agency 
release used as the basis for local coverage: 
 
"Sultanate Rejects U.S. State Department Report on Human 
Trafficking" 
 
"Muscat, June 10th (ONA) - The Sultanate has rejected and 
protested the latest US State DepartmentQs report on Human 
Trafficking citing the Sultanate for the second year among 
countries that have made no efforts to fight this global 
issue. It said that the faulted report doesnQt tell the truth, 
does badly with the Sultanate, and shows the short sightedness 
of the other party. Besides, it doesnQt reflect the real 
situation lived by the Omani citizens and expatriates in the 
Sultanate. 
 
The above had been quoted by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud 
al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, in 
reply to journalistsQ questions today regarding the 
SultanateQs stand on the above noted US State DepartmentQs 
report and measures taken by the Sultanate in this regard. 
 
He said that he has met with the US ambassador to the 
Sultanate yesterday and handed over to him an official protest 
note, informing the SultanateQs rejection of the misleading 
information and incorrect allegations mentioned in the report 
which contradict the good living reality enjoyed by people in 
the Sultanate, thanks be to God. 
 
He added that everyone knows that the Sultanate is renowned 
for its serious co-operation with the international community 
to combating crime and that the competent authorities in the 
Sultanate are very serious on cracking down, arresting, and 
punishing perpetrators of all crimes and not only human 
trafficking which have become a global issue. He cited the 
human trafficking cases as limited and individual as compared 
to many other countries. The Sultanate with its different 
institutions, is providing the crime victims with relevant 
care, sympathizing the human dimension of the problem, 
sympathizes with victims in accordance with tradition, culture 
and morals of the Omani society which rejects defame and 
violating human dignity, he stressed. 
 
During his statement, the Foreign Ministry Secretary General, 
said that crime ratio in the Sultanate as it is 
internationally known, is considerably low due to the enforced 
policies, laws and procedures and due to the Omani people 
respect of their religion, traditions and solid values. 
Therefore, the Sultanate doesnQt find any justification for 
such faulted and unjust report. 
 
Considering the SultanateQs good historical relations with the 
United States of America, it hopes that officials at the US 
State Department may revise the report to reflect the true 
image, secured and stabilized situation in the Sultanate to 
 
MUSCAT 00000434  003 OF 003 
 
 
correct the SultanateQs related information and highlight its 
distinguished record in this regard to maintain such relations 
and avoid damaging them by such report, the Foreign MinistryQs 
Secretary General affirmed. The Sultanate has long, initiated 
procedures of issuing legislations on human trafficking, he 
added." 
 
GRAPPO