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O R 201413Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0175
INFO GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL DUBAI

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000096 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR HA AE
SUBJECT: PERSONALLY ENGAGING ON HAITI 
 
REF: STATE 05277 
 
¶1.      (U) Al Khaleej, an Arabic language daily with a pan-Arabist 
political orientation ran a front page article on January 20, 2010 
with the headline:  "Haiti comes under militarization and its 
children become slaves." (text follows at para 4 below) 
 
¶2.      (SBU) IAW with reftel instructions, Ambassador called 
Editor Raed Al-Barqawi to complain about the very misleading 
coverage of US humanitarian initiatives.  Ambassador explained the 
rationale for using self-deploying US military forces (as well as 
civilian assets) and corrected the misperceptions of changes in US 
immigration policies, which were also intended to alleviate human 
suffering.  Barqawi said he was also unhappy with the headline, and 
said it had been written after he left the newsroom.  He promised 
to take (unspecified) corrective action.  Ambassador offered to 
provide additional factual information on US Aid to Haiti to Al 
Khaleej. 
 
¶3.      (SBU) In general, UAE press coverage of the Haiti tragedy 
has been factual and without obvious political bias, the Al Khaleej 
story stood out in this regard. 
 
¶4.      (U)  Text of relevant portion of Al Khaleej Article, in 
informal translation.  "12 American helicopters landed yesterday 
near the presidential palace at the Haitian palace Port-au-Prince 
that was destroyed in an earthquake last week.  American 
full-equipped troops left the planes in the largest military 
exploitation of a human tragedy in the world.  The Security Council 
approved unanimously yesterday a temporary increase in the number 
of  the UN security and police troops to the Caribbean peninsula to 
maintain security and help in the relief efforts. The UNICEF Fund 
explained that adoption must be the last resort for orphan children 
who have lost their parents following the U.S. placement of special 
measures for the Haitian orphans.  UNICEF spokesperson Veronica 
Tafiu said that the UN agency is afraid of trafficking in the 
children, noting that regardless of the human circumstances 
reuniting family members must remain a priority.  She added that 
even if it is proven that the parents have died  or lost, efforts 
must be activated with the larger family members including the 
grandparents asserting that foreign adoption must remain the last 
option.  She concluded that UNICEF has reports of Haitian children 
who have been exposed for violence since the earthquake took place. 
American Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano stated on 
Monday that the U.S. will allow temporarily orphan Haitian children 
into the U.S. to receive medical care." 
 
 
OLSON