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Viewing cable 09RPODUBAI481, IRAN PRESS: INITIAL IRAN MEDIA COVERAGE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09RPODUBAI481 2009-11-08 11:26 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Iran RPO Dubai
VZCZCXRO2492
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDIR #0481/01 3121126
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081126Z NOV 09
FM RPO DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0611
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/USLO ABU DHABI TC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHDIR/RPO DUBAI 0612
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 RPO DUBAI 000481 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: IRAN PRESS: INITIAL IRAN MEDIA COVERAGE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA 
NOVEMBER 4 STATEMENT 
 
DUBAI 00000481  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:   As of late November 5, Iranian press 
coverage of President Obama's November 4 statement on Iran has 
been scant, with most domestic coverage focused on the November 
4 "National Struggle Against Global Arrogance Day" events.  What 
coverage there has been was relatively factual, with articles 
highlighting President Obama's expression of desire to 
re-establish relations with Iran, and consisting essentially of 
quotations from the statement.  Much of the coverage of 
President Obama's November 4 statement also covered or at least 
referred to Supreme Leader Khamenei's November 3 negative 
comments on US policy towards Iran.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
CONSERVATIVE 
 
------------------ 
 
 
 
 2. (SBU) Mehrnews Website (Traditional Conservative): 
Relatively short and factual coverage with many quotes from the 
President Obama statement, although some implicit editorializing 
in the subtitle). 
 
 
 
 SUBTITLE: While Repeating Unclear Positions.. 
 
 
 
 TITLE: Obama: America Seeks Respectful Relations with Iran: 
 
 
 
 SELECTED QUOTES: 
 
 
 
"Washington is Seeking Relations with Tehran based on bilateral 
interests and mutual respect" 
 
 
 
"..the time has come for the government of Iran to choose 
whether to open its doors to more opportunity and success and 
justice for its people or not." 
 
 
 
"..the Iranian government must choose.  We have heard for 30 
years that the Iranian government is opposed to things but now 
the question is what sort of future Tehran is pursuing." 
 
 
 
The article notes that the West and Iran have had a clash of 
opinion re the nature of Iran's peaceful nuclear program.  It 
says that President Obama again recognized Iran's right for 
peaceful use of nuclear power and that the US along with other 
Western countries has taken basis steps towards building Iran's 
confidence. 
 
 
 
"Diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran were ended 
after the events of November 4, 1979 but I say clearly that the 
US is seeking relations is seeking relations with the Islamic 
Republic of Iran based on bilateral interests and mutual respect 
in a movement beyond past events.  The time has come for 
creating new relations between Tehran and Washington." 
 
 
 
3. (SBU) Kayhan Newspaper (hardline Conservative): As to be 
expected, clearly slanted reporting of the President Obama 
statement, with many quotes pulled from the statement: 
 
 
 
TITLE:  'On the Pretext of 13 Aban, America Again Bares its Iron 
Hand' 
 
 
 
 
DUBAI 00000481  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
LEAD SENTENCE: "In a statement on the occasion of the 
anniversary of the Occupation of the 'Den of Spies,' the 
President of the United States once gain repeated his lying 
claims concerning establishing relations with Iran based on 
mutual respect." 
 
 
 
HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES: 
 
 
 
- "with a threatening tone he [President Obama] said, 'Iran must 
decide whether to open the way for opportunity and success or 
not.' 
 
 
 
- 'without reference to the crimes of 30 years ago by the White 
House leaders against the Iranian nation, which as the Supreme 
Leader has said is a thick book' 
 
 
 
'Obama made these claims of non-interference in Iran's internal 
affairs and preference for establishing respectful relations 
with Iran when on the previous day he signed a Pentagon budget 
for 55 million dollars  for soft war against Iran.' 
 
 
 
4. (SBU) ISNA (Semi-Official): Largely objective coverage of the 
statement, although most of the story is actually coverage of 
Khamenei's November 3 speech on 'US arrogance' 
 
 
 
TITLE: Repetition of Obama's "Superficially 
Reconciliation-Seeking" Positions On the Anniversary of the 
Occupation of the Den of Spies [Note: the quotation "On the 
Surface Reconciliatory" is from Khamenei's November 3 speech on 
the US]. The story quotes both from the Obama statement and from 
Reuters and Associated Press coverage of it. 
 
 
 
LEAD SENTENCE:  In a statement released late Tuesday the 
American President, in a continuation of his policy of 
delivering "superficially reconciliation-seeking" speeches 
announced that "now is the time for Iran to decide whether it 
wishes to focus on its past or whether to open the door towards 
larger opportunities. 
 
 
 
HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES: 
 
 
 
"Obama without reference to the history of hostile US actions 
towards Iran and the main reason for the occupation of the den 
of spies by the 'Students Following the Imam's Line,' claimed 
that " This event helped set the United States and Iran on a 
path of sustained suspicion, mistrust, and confrontation" 
 
 
 
"This Obama statement was put forward at a time when Supreme 
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei on Tuesday 
with reference to the need for insight in recognizing 
'arrogance' called America the real arrogant power in the world, 
saying " as long as the American government doesn't refrain from 
its threats and arrogant spirit, the Iranian nation will not be 
fooled by the superficially reconciliation-seeking statement of 
the US.." 
 
 
 
5. (SBU) FARDA NEWS (Pragmatic Conservative Website, Associated 
with Tehran Mayor Qalibaf): Relatively factual, this article 
quotes from the Obama statement while noting the current state 
of US-Iran relations relative to the nuclear issue and the 
current IAEA proposal.  It also has a passing reference to 
Khamenei's November 3 statement about Iran not being fooled by 
the US's "superficially reconciliation-seeking" statements. 
 
DUBAI 00000481  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
 
 
TITLE: In a Statement on The Occasion of the 13th of Aban 
Obama's Invitation to Iran to Renew Relations 
 
 
 
SUBTITLE: Obama, on the threshold of the 30th anniversary of the 
Occupation of the Den of Spies, invites Iran for an 
understanding on the nuclear program and said that to arrive at 
this understanding Iran needs to put its past aside and choose a 
new relationship with Iran. 
 
 
 
6.  (SBU) Press TV (Official, English language - not much 
domestic readership): 
 
 
 
TITLE: A Year Later, Obama's Iran Policy Unchanged 
 
 
 
SUMMARY:  The article says that President Obama won office with 
promises of 'change,' his New Year's speech to Iran opened the 
door to the possibility of relations based on respect, "however, 
he flaked out on the grounds of honesty and mutual respect. The 
ongoing nuclear issue frenzy and the recent uranium proposal, 
which has yet to bear fruit, are the perfect examples for this." 
 The article quotes Obama's November 3 statement, but added 
that, "If the president, whose popularity is rapidly declining 
in the US, is really sincere, then there are huge 
misunderstandings, which need to be addressed. This would also 
help change the Iranian perspective on his 'acts of deception'. 
 The article then recounts examples of US interference in 
contemporary Iran's affairs. 
 
 
 
SELECTED QUOTES: 
 
"..President Obama on Friday signed a $680 billion defense 
authorization bill into law. The military budget included a 
bill, allocating up to $50 million for the expansion of 
Persian-language broadcasting in Iran by Radio Free Europe / 
Radio Liberty's Radio Farda and the Voice of America's Persian 
News Network .. the networks are accused of interference in 
Iran's internal affairs by spreading propaganda against the 
government." 
 
"This is while in his message, President Obama said, 'We do not 
interfere in Iran's internal affairs.' " 
 
"What needs to change is the assumption that US actions against 
Iran are overlooked by the Iranians .. President Obama in his 
message said it was time for Iran to live up to 'the obligations 
that every nation has.' But maybe, it is time for the White 
House to fully exercise the real meaning of 'change' if it seeks 
a prosperous and productive partner in Iran." 
 
 
 
REFORMIST 
 
-------------- 
 
 
 
7. (SBU) AFTAB-E YAZD NEWSPAPER, (November 5, Page 11): 
Relatively factual coverage, with extensive quotes from the 
statement. 
 
 
 
TITLE: Obama Statement on the 30th Anniversary of the Takeover 
of the American Embassy, "I Want to Establish Relations With 
Iran Based on Mutual Respect" [NOTE: interesting that the 
heading refers to 'takeover of the US Embassy,' not 'takeover of 
the US Den of Spies.'] 
 
 
 
LEAD SENTENCE: US President Barak Obama says that the US wants 
 
DUBAI 00000481  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
to establish relations with Iran based on bilateral interests 
and mutual respect. 
 
 
 
SUMMARY: After covering the Obama November 3 statement in the 
first third of the article, the second third of the article, 
titled "America and Europe Want Iran to Act According to Its 
Commitments," covers Obama's meeting with EU leaders and his 
subsequent Iran statement to the effect that the US and the EU 
wants Iran to participate in the international community, to act 
in accordance with international law and to fulfill its 
International commitments.  The third and last section of the 
article covers German Chancellor Merkel's "anti-Iran" positions 
when appearing at the US Congress. 
EYREAE