INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Media Reaction: Iraq, Sudan, and Reform in the Arab

Published: Mon 8 Aug 2005 01:57 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS MUSCAT 001243
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, INR/R/MR
LONDON FOR TSOU
PARIS FOR ZEYA
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR ASILAS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR OIIP IZ MU
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ, SUDAN, AND REFORM IN THE ARAB
WORLD
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Losing Control?
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1. Issa Al-Zedjali, editor in chief of Arabic daily "Al-
Shabibah," wrote an editorial on August 7 under the headline
"Americans Begin Losing Control in Iraq":
"The Iraqi crisis is getting worse day by day, and there is no
let up in sight. The commander of the American forces in Iraq has
acknowledged the strength of the armed groups and their expansion
in a number of Iraqi cities, in addition to the advanced weapons
they use. American forces in Iraq are now in a critical
situation. They are contemplating ways and means of achieving
victory over terrorism and providing Iraqis with security. This
is a difficult proposition; in fact, it is a nearly impossible
task, considering the fact that they are up against an enemy that
is growing in strength with each passing day."
--------------
Peace in Sudan
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2. Government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" featured an editorial on
August 8 entitled "Sudan and the Implementation of Peace
Agreement":
"Despite the absence of John Garang from the Sudanese political
scene and the clear loss resulting from it, all political powers
in Khartoum and the south have ensured that the best way forward
is to work hard to implement the terms of the peace agreement.
This was made clear by Omar Al-Basher's promise to implement the
terms of peace agreement signed in Nairobi at the beginning of
current year. Sudan is going through a phase that calls for
stability and calm to overcome the gap created by Garang's
absence...
-------------
Reform Vacuum
-------------
3. "Oman" also published on August 8 an editorial entitled "Will
Current Calls for Reforms End Existing Tensions?":
"The whole world has been facing one crisis or another since
9/11...America invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, and explosions took
place in different places, most recently in London... The
Americans came to call for reforms in the Arab world, believing
that lack of democracy and internal stability cause these
catastrophes. It is true that reform, development, and renovation
are vital needs; however, such steps should be taken willingly.
It should be an internal matter that countries should freely
choose to apply. There has been a lot of talk on reforms like the
Greater Middle East Initiative and other similar projects that
the Arab world did not agree to. The problem is that their
refusal to accept reform imposed by external powers has not been
followed by any self-initiated reform movements by the Arab
themselves."
BALTIMORE
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