O 161043Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3786
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA PRIORITY

UNCLAS BEIRUT 001757 
 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA - IRWIN, NEA/ELA - LAWSON, NEA/PPD, R, 
INR/R/MR, INR-PARENT, 
NSC - ABRAMS/RAMCHAND/YERGER/MCDERMOTT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL KMDR OPRC KPAO KISL KPAL LE
SUBJECT:  Lebanon: Media Reaction - December 16, 2008 
 
Atmospherics: 
------------- 
 
The shoe-throwing incident continued to dominate lead stories, 
editorials, and cartoons. The press also highlighted Hizballah 
Secretary General Nasrallah's call for a series of activities in 
order to lift the siege against Gaza. 
 
Reports noted that Nasrallah's move is the first "public" support 
for Hamas and reflects Hizballah's feeling that the situation in 
Gaza is dangerous and Hamas should not be left alone.  One 
editorialist also noted that Nasrallah's call for Egypt to open the 
Rafah Crossing is a position that is not only meant to help the 
Palestinians, but also to exert pressure on Egypt which has tensed 
relations with Iran. 
 
Selected Headlines 
------------------- 
 
"At Last Salary Increases Have Been Ratified; Hale in Beirut to 
Prepare for Elections..." Pro-Syria Ad-Diyar 
 
"An Election Bazar at the Parliament" Independent Al-Balad 
 
"Nasrallah Calls on People to Make a Move: Blockading A Million and 
a Half People is a Crime" Pro-Syria Ad-Diyar 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Arab Thought and Meditation in the Al-Zeidi Shoe," an editorial by 
Jihad El-Zein in moderate, anti-Syrian An-Nahar (12/16): 
 
"...The shoe of an Iraqi journalist has become the first -- or 
perhaps the only -- symbol for change in the Arab world that was 
proposed by the neo-conservative class in the United States and 
adopted by Bush.  ...The flying shoe towards this extraordinary 
target represents the peak of Arab political two-tracked thought: 
rejection of change in the Arab world coming through American tanks; 
and, failure to embark upon this change by the Arabs themselves. 
...This shoe has become a symbol for millions of Arabs in societies 
full with people who are not working, and who put on old shoes and 
adopt radical thoughts.   ...If we have to be fair, however, this 
shoe should have been a Palestinian shoe.  ...President Bush's 
biggest sin was to leave behind the peace settlement between Israel 
and the Palestinians.  ...He also sabotaged a possible settlement 
between Israel and Syria.  ...Arab 'shoe though' i.e., the Arab's 
failure to come up with their own project for change, will 
nevertheless digest this 'great incident' because the language of 
Arab anger is ready to celebrate.  ...This new 'Baghdadi' phenomenon 
- which is the Arab 'no' without an Arab project - should be 
studied.  ...The problem is that it will only be studied in advanced 
universities outside of the Arab world - and a number of these 
advanced universities will definitely be in the United States." 
 
Sison