Cablegate: Media Reaction: Israel-/Hezbollah Combat, Gwot
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHIN #2778 2272247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 152247Z AUG 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1615
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5534
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6747
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002778
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - SCOTT WALKER
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL-/HEZBOLLAH COMBAT, GWOT
1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave extensive
coverage August 15 to the investigations into the Presidential
Office's special state affairs expense account; former DPP Chairman
Shih Ming-teh's campaign to oust President Chen Shui-bian; and the
KMT's plan to detail its handling of the party's assets. All papers
also reported on inside pages President Chen's plan to visit Palau
in early September, the same time local activist groups will try to
unseat Chen.
2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, columnist Antonio Chiang
noted in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" that Israel is the loser
in its fight against Hezbollah, and the U.S.'s over-tilted position
toward Israel has made its "New Middle East" program a castle in the
air. An editorial in the limited-circulation, pro-independence,
English-language "Taipei Times" slashed at the U.S. and British "war
on terrorism," saying they have used the threat of al-Qaeda and
possible attacks to cow their citizens "into grudgingly accepting
legislation that has taken away many of their constitutional rights
and freedoms." End summary.
3. Israel-Hezbollah Combat
"Where Arms Alone Are Not Enough to Be Presumed On"
Columnist Antonio Chiang noted in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily"
[circulation: 500,000] (8/15):
"The battle between Israel and Hezbollah is asymmetrical, whether
viewed militarily or politically. It will be a victory for
Hezbollah as long as it can survive and not be wiped out. But for
Israel, it will not triumph unless it wins in the military,
political, diplomatic and security aspects. The UN cease-fire
agreement offers an easy retreat for both sides who otherwise have
no way to back down. But Israel is obviously the loser, given the
fact that both the international and domestic situations are not
favorable for it. The United States' image in the Arab world is
also severely damaged. ...
"The bloody scenes created by Israel's air strikes sparked outrage
in the Arab world. Support for Hezbollah soared quickly, forcing
Lebanon to publicly support it. Iran, as a result, held a tougher
position on its nuclear weapons, and Syria is expected to recover
its influence on Lebanon. The United States' over-tilted position
toward Israel in this war will make its 'New Middle East' program a
castle in the air. Israel will face a more severe challenge than
before in terms of its security. ..."
4. GWOT
"Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself"
The pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation:
30,000] editorialized (8/15):
"... The threatened attacks may have been real, but many in the UK
are becoming increasingly skeptical over the way events like these
are being handled, and see last week's terror alert as the latest
episode in a campaign by the authorities to keep the population
enveloped in a blanket of fear. Such fear allows the British
government to continue pursuing its hawkish foreign policy in
countries like Iraq and Lebanon while pushing through draconian
security measures that curtail civil liberties at home such as
biometric ID cards. ... But when it comes to employing the tactics
of fear, the UK government is a virtual novice.
"Since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the administration
of US President George W. Bush has used the threat of al-Qaeda and
possible attacks to cow US citizens into grudgingly accepting
legislation that has taken away many of their constitutional rights
and freedoms. Instead of using these terrible attacks as impetus
for finding solutions to the Middle East problem and tackling the
root causes of Muslim extremism in a bid to prevent future attacks,
the Bush administration, backed by Blair, launched the 'war on
terror.' The fear generated by this 'war' and the subsequent hatred
of the West that coalition behavior in Iraq has spawned have been
used by Bush to keep the vast majority of people from questioning
policy decisions like the invasion of Iraq, which would otherwise
have been unmasked as the folly it turned out to be. ...
YOUNG