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O 301144Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001253 
 
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, EEB 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINO EPET OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- KUWAITI MEDIA COVERAGE OF VIOLENCE 
IN GAZA 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary and Comment.  As of Tuesday, December 30, all 
Kuwaiti Arabic and English language print dailies continued to 
publish headlines and pictures related to the ongoing situation in 
Gaza.  In addition to the continued front page news updates, a 
number of Editors-in-Chief offered editorials on the subject, 
championing the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, all harshly 
criticize the policies and activities of Israel, but there is also 
recollection of Palestinian acquiescence to Iraq's 1990 invasion of 
Kuwait and limited criticism of Hamas.  Many dailies also took a 
local angle to the story, covering with both photographs and 
articles the December 28 rally that occurred in front of Kuwait's 
Parliament building.  The coverage is likely to continue to dominate 
the front pages and editorial sections of Kuwaiti's print dailies 
until the current round of violence in Gaza wanes or ceases. End 
Summary and Comment. 
 
¶2. (U) Block quotes 
 
-- Under the headline 'Gaza and Martin Neimoller,' liberal Shi'ite 
columnist Ahmmed Al-Sarraf editorialized in the moderate Arabic 
daily the Al-Qabas (12/30):  "In response to the request by the 
Chief of the Political Bureau of Hamas asking Kuwaitis to help 
Palestinian victims in Gaza, I can't help but wonder where these 
Palestinians and specially people in Gaza were when Kuwait was 
attacked and robbed by the toppled barbarian Iraqi regime? Did they 
not cheer for the Iraqi invaders when they roamed the streets of 
Kuwait and applauded their incursion of Kuwait? Did they not gloat 
when Iraqi tanks demolished Kuwaiti homes, and destroyed our 
institutions?  But I guess people have a short memory!  However, in 
spite of all that I cannot respond today to their reactions then in 
the same way.  My patriotic beliefs oblige me to give whatever I can 
from my money, and do whatever I can to help them.  Not because I 
fear what the future would bring, but because if I do not stand by 
them I would be betraying my own convictions." 
 
-- Conservative Arabic daily the Al-Watan published an editorial by 
Nabeel Al-Awadhi where he outlined ten measures that Arab leaders 
must take in reaction to Gaza (12/30):  "Palestinian blood will not 
go to waste:  this crime will not be like previous ones.  Many 
things will change in the Islamic-Zionist struggle.  The changes 
must be equal to the size of the crime; otherwise we ought to be a 
dead [Arab] nation."  Mr. Al-Awadhi then lists his ten suggested 
measures, which are summarized as follows: "Israel claims that some 
Arab leaders gave it the green light to attack Gaza; I have no 
doubts that this could be true, but when the identity of these 
leaders is revealed they should be hit by a shoe.  Our governments 
must be questioned about the amount of money they have spent in the 
past years on arm deals, and weapons that are supposedly purchased 
to defend Arabs against the enemy. They should check the expiration 
dates of these weapons as they rot in the warehouses, instead of 
being put to use.  Dr. Awad Al-Qarni gave a Fatwa (Islamic verdict) 
that allows for hitting any Israeli target wherever it might be; I 
commend you Dr. Qarni on this Fatwa.  Any Arab or Muslim state that 
still maintains diplomatic relations with Israel should be 
considered a traitor." 
 
--Editor-in-Chief of Al-Seyassah, a pro-government Arabic daily, 
Ahmmed Jarallah, opined on the first page of his newspaper (12/30): 
"Hamas has rejected offers from Arab countries to provide treatment 
to injured Palestinians.  It seems that Hamas is asking Egypt to 
cancel its agreements with the international community, and Saudi 
Arabia to send its troops to support the group, and Kuwait to send 
its wealth to Khaled Meshaal -- the Hamas leader. We are facing a 
small group that is firing at their own people and wants to spread 
this fire to the Arab world.  We should stop this group and 
everybody should have a sense of reality to retain our power.  Some 
people distorted our Islamic beliefs, our Arab identity, and our 
understanding of world events. We do not have to exaggerate. We have 
seen pools of Palestinian blood due to the random shooting of 
rockets." 
 
Carrying the headline 'If Something Must Be Said,' daily columnist 
and publisher Ahmed Deyain wrote in the fist page of the daily Alam 
Alyawm (12/30):  "The ugly carnage that Zionists are executing in 
Gaza amidst international collaboration, obvious American support, 
equal Arab cowardliness, and intra-Palestinian divisions, in 
addition to the failure of any peace process initiatives, have put 
the Palestinian cause in its true framework.  Simply, it is a 
 
KUWAIT 00001253  002 OF 002 
 
 
struggle for the liberation of a nation from Israeli aggression.  At 
the same time, what happens now in Gaza, and what happened earlier 
in Lebanon reconfirms once again that the basis of all struggles in 
our region is the struggle between the will of the resistance 
movements and the Israeli attempts, and those who support them, to 
break this will and weaken Arab resilience.  The aim is to force the 
Arabs to kneel down, and surrender to the might of an occupying 
power." 
 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
 
MISENHEIMER