What The Arab Papers Are Saying About Wikileaks

An interesting overview, courtesy of the Economist.

Tarek al-Homayad, editor-in-chief of al-Sharq al-Awsat, a leading Saudi-owned, pan-Arab daily, portrayed the leaks as a crisis for America and called into question the accuracy and relevance of the reports:

" We must take care that not everything written by the American embassies is fact; some of these reports have been taken out of context. Some contain analysis and reporting while the rest merely express points of view, not actual policies. Negotiations between countries before they take important political decisions are usually frank, especially behind closed doors."

On the subject of Iran, Mr al-Homayad avoids discussing the remarks reportedly made by Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz calling for American military action against Tehran, noting:

"The region does not need any documents confirming or denying that Iran is source of concern […] Tehran knows, even without these reports, that it lives in an ocean of mistrust."

Writing in the London-based daily al-Hayat Hossam Aitani argues that the leaks show America's anxiety about Iran, which helps explain its strategy in the Middle East:

"The correspondence between American envoys and diplomats shows that the United States sees, in Tehran, the only party with a comprehensive plan [for the Middle East] to compete with American designs [for the region]. While this analysis may please those who support Iranian influence in the Middle East, it also points to the fact that the Arab world, her people and problems, simply aren’t on America's radar. With some “reverse engineering” we can start to understand that American strategy in the region is based on the containment of Iran. "

Satie Nour Eddin, a columnist for Lebanese daily al-Safir, described what the leaks revealed as “a scandal in the fullest sense of the word”, slamming America for the damage the documents have caused to its allies:

"So far, what has been made available online does not reveal any secrets or solve any mysteries. It just gives a vivid, spontaneous and honest image of America's sense of superiority over others. It unveils the mask American diplomats wear in their talks, which is removed the instant they start writing reports to their superiors."

In the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Watan, Ahmed Yousef al-Daeej expressed some suspicion about America's role in the leaks:

"No one knows the truth of this WikiLeaks thing. Is it plausible that the United States with all its greatness, power and valor, cannot stop WikiLeaks and its millions of documents? Or have these documents been leaked by the Americans themselves to achieve a particular goal? Or has America simply turned a blind eye to the leak?"

Omar Kallab, writing in al-Dustour, a Jordanian newspaper, was defensive of the Jordanian role in the region as portrayed in the cables, emphasizing the difficult situation Jordan finds itself in, sandwiched between Iraq and Palestine.

"The documents prove, once again, that Jordan's role is faithful to our nation and our heritage. It’s a role that holds true to the nation’s principles and identity and which supports the country’s interests. I don’t think anyone can say to American politicians what we say to them in Jordan, at least according to what the documents say."

And Qatari commentator Nawaf al Thani, writing in al-Raya, predicts a new sense of caution in diplomatic discussions with America following the Wikileaks cables:

"It is certain that any future meetings between American officials and their Arab counterparts will, more than ever before, be filled with silence and courtesies, as people keep their cards close to their chests."

That last comment is probably the truest of the bunch.

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