O 231344Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4499
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UNCLAS BEIRUT 000333 
 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA - LAWSON, NEA/ELA - IRWIN, NEA/PPD, R, 
INR/R/MR, INR-PARENT, 
NSC - SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL KMDR OPRC KPAO KISL KPAL LE
SUBJECT:  Lebanon: Media Reaction - March 23, 2009 
 
Atmospherics: 
------------- 
 
Over the weekend, most newspapers' lead stories and headlines 
welcomed President Obama's message to the "Islamic Republic of Iran" 
and to the Iranian people and "leaders." Several newspapers 
characterized this initiative as "unprecedented," noting that it 
reflected "serious" change in the U.S. rapprochement towards the 
Middle East and Iran.  On Monday, however, editorialists "scratched 
below the surface" and tried to look at President Obama's speech 
"realistically."  An editorialist close to Hizballah questioned 
whether the U.S. is "squeezed" to the extent that it has to reach 
out to countries like Iran.  The same editorialist also asked 
doubtfully whether the United States and its allies are contriving a 
new mechanism to confront their enemies in the region.  Other less 
radical journalists also cast their doubts, noting that the United 
States should really be intending to engage in a fair dialogue with 
Iran, otherwise, it will fail. 
 
Selected Headlines 
------------------- 
 
"Will the American Message on the Occasion of Nowruz break the 
'boiling' years? And how will it be interpreted on the Arab and 
Lebanese Levels? Obama: Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 
Your Celebration is Blessed" Arab nationalist As-Safir 
 
"In a Message on the Occasion of Nowruz that Was Void of Superior 
Language: Obama Surprises Iran with Extending His Wishes and With 'A 
New Day'" Moderate, anti-Syrian An-Nahar 
 
"Obama Removes Iran from the 'Axis of Evil:' Diplomacy to Sove 
differences..." Pro-Sunni Al-Liwa' 
 
 
Block Quotes: 
------------- 
 
"Any American-Iranian Rapprochement Is Expected to Impact Positively 
on Lebanon," an editorial by Khalil Flayhan in moderate, anti-Syrian 
An-Nahar (3/23): 
 
"Governmental, parliamentary, and Lebanese parties' circles noted 
that U.S. rapprochement towards...the Iranian people and leaders may 
open a new phase of calm in the region...which in turn will impact 
positively the local situation in Lebanon.  ...The same sources 
noted, though, that ...Khamenei's response to President Obama's 
message showed that he was not overly impressed by Obama's style and 
approach, and was really frank and tough in his response.  ...Tehran 
believes that the U.S. has oppressed Iran...and wants it to lift the 
commercial and financial ban it has imposed on Iran since 1995 and 
wants it to lift the sanctions it has imposed on Iranian banks.  ... 
Tehran also wants a change in the U.S. position which was expressed 
by President Bush when he characterized Iran as one of the 'axis of 
evil' countries..." 
 
"American Naivete and Iranian perspicacity," an editorial by Rafiq 
Khoury in centrist Al-Anwar (3/23): 
 
"It is not new for a U.S. President to send a message to the Iranian 
people on the occasion of Nowruz.  This has been a White House 
tradition since President Roosevelt and the U.S. alliance with the 
Iranian Shah.  ...For Iran and the U.S. to tango, however, they need 
to reach an agreement over the music.  So far the U.S. is tangoing 
on the music of changing Iranian behavior...while Iran wants the 
music of changing U.S. policies, and correcting mistakes against 
Iran.  ...No one knows when both countries will agree on one common 
musical score.  ...The question is: Are we witnessing a new edition 
of American naivete and Iranian perspicacity?  Or are we witnessing 
a journey of discovery which will eventually lead to conflict? 
...There is a big difference between a player who plays poker, in 
this case the United States, and a player who plays chess..." 
 
"Is the U.S. Talking to Iran, or Dictating?" an editorial by Rami 
Khoury in English-language The Daily Star (3/23): 
 
"...The American gestures to Iran seem sincere and serious, but from 
the Iranian perspective they still suffer from the persistent 
structural weakness of dictating the rules of the game to Iran and 
others in the Arab world and Asia, rather than engaging in a genuine 
dialogue.  This flaw should not detract from the constructive effort 
that the Obama Administration is making, or blind us to the real 
shifts it has already initiated.  At some point, however, Obama has 
to decide if he wants to dictate rules or engage in real dialogue 
because the two cannot happen together - especially if the standards 
of behavior the United States wants to see from Iran are often 
ignored by Washington itself along with its closest allies, such as 
Israel.  We can celebrate Nowruz together and usher in a genuinely 
new spring, or we can celebrate April Fool's day soon; but in the 
world of diplomacy and political relations we cannot do both at the 
same time." 
 
Sison