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OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHKU #1116/01 3111315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061315Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2319
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001116 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, 
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - 
REACTION TO RESULTS 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
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Thursday, November 6, 2008 
 
¶1. (U) On Thursday, November 6, all Kuwaiti Arabic language dailies 
ran front-page headlines about the U.S. election results.  All 
headlines characterized the election of Democratic candidate Barack 
Obama to the presidency as being positive or historic, while others 
offered congratulations to the American people.  The vast majority 
of editorials that ran on the results of the elections were also 
positive.  Editorials went on to opine that domestically and 
internationally, President-elect Obama will face many challenges. 
While all editorials characterized the win as positive, several 
wondered what in the new administration's policies towards the 
Middle East would change, particularly with regards to oil imports 
and alternative energy. 
 
¶2.  (U) Major Headlines 
 
Liberal Al-Qabas: America reinvigorates America with Obama 
Pro-Government Al-Anbaa: Yes he did 
Pro-Government Al-Seyassah: The First Black person in the White 
House: America is on the Cusp of a New Dawn 
Newly established liberal Awan: Obama changes America 
Liberal Al-Rai: Obama is Number One 
Conservative Al-Watan: Obama... Congrats Abu Hussein 
Alam Alyawm: A Black Man in the White House 
Shiite influenced Al-Dar: A lesson in Democracy 
Arrouiah: Kuwaitis: Electing Obama means stability in the region 
Kuwait Times: Obama rides the Winds of Change 
The Al-Watan Daily: Obama Makes History, Kuwait Extols Victory 
Arab Times: America renews promise of hope 
 
 
¶3. (U) Block Quotes 
 
-- Deputy Chief Editor of the conservative Arabic language daily 
Al-Watan, Mr. Waleed Al-Jassem, editorialized on the last page 
(11/06): 
 
Headlined, 'A Black Man in the White House,' Mr. Al-Jassem wrote: 
"The Republicans were the ones who actually prepared America for a 
black president.  They were the ones who appointed the first black 
Secretary of State Colin Powell, and they were the ones who followed 
up that appointment with Secretary Rice.  When the Democrats were in 
power, they appointed former Secretary Albright to that position. 
Abraham Lincoln, the President who freed the slaves, was a 
Republican, and not a Democrat.  Here in Kuwait we are fighting 
about who gets Kuwaiti citizenship and from whom it should been 
taken away.  In contrast, in the United States an immigrant by the 
name of Barack Hussein Obama assumes the most important seat in the 
whole world.  One wonders where we are relative to what the 
Americans have achieved!" 
 
 
-- Carrying the headline, 'Obama... the Historic Transformation,' 
daily columnist and political analyst Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Najjar 
editorialized in the conservative Arabic language daily Al-Watan: 
 
"The victory of President-elect Obama is a turning point in the 
history of the United States, as well as for the general public in 
America.  Americans have the right to be proud of this moment 
because it represents a patriotic diffusion of civil rights and a 
real diversion from racism.  This will have a positive effect on how 
other nations view the American people.  The American nation gave 
its votes to the candidate Obama because of his qualifications and 
his superior presentation of policy solutions and ideas during his 
campaign; a campaign that overshadowed all other campaigns across 
the United States." 
 
 
-- Political activist and daily columnist in the liberal Arabic 
language daily Al-Rai, Dr. Wael Hasawi, opined: 
 
"The nightmare of President Bush and eight years of 
neo-conservatives ruling the entire world with an iron fist, just 
like the Roman reign, has gone.  The United States is a country 
ruled by institutions and not just an individual or a certain party. 
 However, the change that Americans sought after the many setbacks 
during the past eight years of Bush's presidency will no doubt 
influence the Obama Administration.  He represents a core change in 
the U.S. mentality that used to admire Anglo-Saxons, but now it had 
 
KUWAIT 00001116  002 OF 002 
 
 
replaced them with an African-American immigrant." 
 
 
-- Carrying the headline "Every Success has its Reasons," Dr. Hamed 
Al-Hmoud, a columnist in the liberal Arabic language daily Al-Qabas, 
wrote (11/06):  "The United States succeeded in electing Barack 
Obama because of America's efficient and fair system.  This system 
includes immigrants and also provides them with employment 
opportunities.  It was also a success because of Obama's special 
personality, which was able to benefit from those opportunities. 
However, some objective circumstances contributed in electing Obama 
the President of the United States including:  the chaos that 
President Bush created during his tenure.  The second circumstance 
raises the issue of a chaotic American policy that was caused by 
President Bush's team.  The third reason is due to the mistakes that 
John McCain committed during his campaign, including choosing an 
inexperienced women for the vice-presidency after meeting with her 
only for a couple of times.  The last reason is due to the economic 
crisis that hit the international banking systems." 
 
 
-- Ahmad Ali Al-Baghli, also a regular Al-Qabas columnist, compared 
the American and the Kuwaiti elections and their outcomes stating 
(11/06):  "The United States chose a black person of African origin 
as its president.  It is better at following what is right [than 
Kuwait].  However, we failed to apply the same principle in our 
country, even though we claim that we are religious and pure people. 
 In Kuwait, a number of MP's insisted on abolishing the primaries as 
well as tribal elections so that they will be able to completely 
dedicate their loyalty to their tribes!  Imagine if Obama were to 
win a primary election which only included African-Americans.  No 
black person would subsequently ever dream of reaching the White 
House!  If hypothetically speaking, Obama had won that election in 
that manner, a race war would have broken out in America!  When 
would we [in Kuwaitis] learn a lesson from the historical American 
election?  The American election rejected race, national origin, 
tribe, self, and sectarianism as issues, and instead embraced 
nationalism." 
 
-- Salma Al-Ajmi, a columnist in the pro-government Arabic which 
daily?, wrote an article under the headline "Martin the Dream and 
Obama the Expansion."  She noted (11/06):  "Obama is election in the 
midst of two wars.  He will be facing the economic war internally 
and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan externally, in addition to 
domestic and foreign policy.  However, will Obama's agenda towards 
the Middle East be a little different than his predecessors?" 
Al-Ajmi also wondered "where do we [in the Middle East] stand in 
regards to Obama's intentions to allocate 150 billion USD to 
alternative energy?  What would be the destiny of the current Middle 
East issues?  Will the issues stay the same American policy is the 
policy of the American lobby in addition to the new administration? 
One question remains:  Are we willing to learn from this democracy 
or we always tend to stick to our bureaucracy?" 
 
 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
 
JONES