Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya Coverage of Riyadh Summit 29 Mar

Doha Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television in Arabic, independent television station financed by the Qatari Government, and Dubai Al-Arabiya Television in Arabic, an independent television station financed by Arab businessmen, on 29 March have been observed to report on the second and final day of the Riyadh summit as follows:

Al-Jazeera

Within its morning newscasts on 29 March, Al-Jazeera is observed to carry normal programming, including news reports on regional and international developments, economic newscasts, and press reviews.

As part of its normal programming, Al-Jazeera reports on the Arab summit, saying that the final session will be held today after “unanimously adopting a resolution that calls for reactivating the Arab peace initiative”, adding that it called on the Israeli Government to accept the initiative.

Al-Jazeera correspondents in a number or Arab capitals are shown interviewing citizens who express their views about the summit. Some citizens call on the Arab leaders “to be unified and to take decisive decisions” concerning the Palestinian issue, Iraq, and Somalia.

A citizen says that “there will be no progress”, while another says that it will be “fully subservient and submissive.”

Another citizen says that “nothing will change. What the western countries want will happen.”

Another says: “I think that the summit is temporarily sentenced to death, especially following the US secretary of state’s visit to the region.”

Al-Jazeera is also observed to interview university professors who comment on the Arab summit. An Iraqi professor says that “the summit is a golden opportunity for Arab countries to have a real Arab initiative for the Iraqi political scene.”

Within its 0700 gmt newscast, Al-Jazeera correspondent in Beirut Abbas Nasir interviews a number of students to comment on the Arab summit.

A female student says: “Lebanon reached a place where it needs help from outside. I think the Arab summit should reach solutions to help Lebanon, because it is clear that politicians in this country cannot do anything by themselves.”

While some students express the hope that the Arab summit would help Lebanon emerge from its crisis, others express pessimism and say that past experience proves that nothing new will happen.”

Within its 0800 gmt newscast, Al-Jazeera correspondent in Amman interviews a number of citizens. A citizen says that the Arab summit will only make recommendations.”

Within its 0900 gmt newscast, Wa’il al-Dahduh, Al-Jazeera correspondent in Gaza Strip, interviews a number of Palestinian citizens, some of whom expresses the hope that the summit would help lift the siege on the Palestinian people, while others say that the Arab leaders “can not influence the Americans or the Zionists.”

Correspondent Abbas Nasir in Beirut says that the Lebanese people did not help themselves so as to be helped by others, especially since they are represented in the summit by two delegations instead of one.

A number of Lebanese students hope that the Lebanese summit would succeed in finding a solution to the current situation in Lebanon.

Using a split screen, Al-Jazeera during its 1000 gmt newscast shows Arab leaders arriving to the summit venue. At the same time, Walid al-Umari, chief of Al-Jazeera bureau in the West Bank, interviews citizens in Hebron. A citizen says “the summit is a failure.” Another says there is a general sense of frustration among Arab citizens. A third citizen says that “the summit is mere ink on paper.”

Hasan al-Shawbaki, Al-Jazeera correspondent in Amman, interviews citizens on the summit. A citizen says that summits results “are usually known beforehand.”

An Iraqi citizen residing in Amman hopes that this summit would be better than the previous ones.

At 1016 gmt, Al-Jazeera hosts in the studio Dr Azmi Bisharah, an Arab thinker and writer. Bisharah criticizes the Arab summit’s reactivation of the Arab initiative, saying that the problem does not lie with the Arab initiative, but with Israel, which only wants to have normal relations with Arabs without giving Palestinians their rights.

At 1026 gmt, Al-Jazeera begins live coverage of the summit proceedings.

At 1247 gmt, Al-Jazeera goes back to Riyadh where Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa reads the final statement of the Riyadh Arab su mmit, which he called the Riyadh Declaration.

The final session ends at 1257 gmt.

At 1258 gmt, Al-Jazeera returns to its guest in the studio Dr Azmi Bisharah to comment on the Arab summit’s final statement. However, the interview is interrupted for a newscast.

At 1317 gmt, Al-Jazeera’s correspondents in Bethlehem, Beirut, and Cairo interview citizens to comment on the summit and its final statement. Citizens are divided between pessimists and optimists concerning the outcome of the Arab summit.

At 1430 gmt, Yasir Abu-Hilalah, Al-Jazeera correspondent in Amman, and Wa’il al-Dahduh, Al-Jazeera correspondent in the Gaza Strip, interview a number of citizens to comment on the outcome of the Arab summit. Al-Dahduh interviews families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails who express the hope that the Arab summit would lead to the release of their prisoners.

Al-Arabiya

Al-Arabiya was observed to dedicate the majority of its 0600 gmt newscast to the Arab summit and the issues it addressed. The channel highlighted the summit’s positions on a variety of regional issues, including the Palestinian, Lebanese, Iraqi, Sudanese, and Somali issues, as well as remarks made by the Saudi king and Arab League secretary general on the above issues. The channel reported on the main decisions to appear in the summit’s final statement, and interviewed its correspondents in Cairo, Ramallah, Beirut, and Baghdad for their comments on local public, political, and media reactions to the proceedings of the summit.

The channel started its “special coverage” of the summit at 0715 gmt, opening with an interview with its Riyadh correspondent for a run-down of the day’s agenda, a preview of the summit’s final statement, and information on sideline meetings between Arab leaders.

Again, the channel started with the Palestinian issue, highlighting the decision “to reactivate the Arab peace initiative” and “establish a just and comprehensive peace that brings security to the entire region and allows the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with holy Jerusalem as its capital” as well as the main points of the 2002 Arab peace initiative. At 0725 gmt, the channel interviewed Palestinian and Egyptian political analysts on Israel’s rejection of the initiative, the prospects of future negotiations with Israel, the significance and content of the initiative, and “the historic Arab position on Palestine and the US retreat.”

For more on the summit’s position on Iraq, on which the summit agreed, according to Amr Musa, on the need to the bridge the “Sunni- Shi’i void,” the channel interviewed at 0741 gmt Hazim al-Shammari, political sciences professor at Baghdad University, who responded to questions on the Arab region’s ability to influence the United States and fast-track its withdrawal, the prospects of a national reconciliation in the event of a US withdrawal, and the possibility of a bigger Sunni political role.

On the Lebanese issue, where the summit agreed on the need to “impose the state’s jurisdiction over all Lebanese lands in accordance with the Al-Ta’if Agreement” and “reactivate the 1949 armistice agreement with Israel,” the channel interviewed at 0751 gmt Lebanese political analyst Nawfal Daw, who commented on the prospects of a unified position on Lebanon, the effect of improved Saudi-Syrian relations on the tensions in Lebanon, and foreign parties other than Syria that “sabotage” possible solutions in Lebanon.

From 0800-0830 gmt, the channel carried repeats of its reports on the summit’s positions on various issues, and interviewed at 0813 gmt Salih Ra’fat, secretary general of the Palestinian Fida Movement, for his views on how Israel can be compelled to change its position on the Arab peace initiative and the significance of a final solution at this time.

At 0818 gmt, the channel interviewed Jamal Abd-al-Jawad, director of the international relations department at the Al-Ahram Centre , to comment on the summit’s importance in light of the apparent Arab unity and determination to act on the ground, as well as the nature of the planned Arab security and peace council.

At 0822 gmt, Al-Arabiya interviewed from Iraq political analyst Dr Tahsin al-Shaykhali on the Iraqi Government’s reconsideration of the deba’thification law and the foreign dimensions of the Iraqi file.

Al-Arabiya stopped its special coverage at 0830 gmt and resumed it at 0918 gmt, starting with an inter view with its correspondent in Riyadh for an update on the expected news conference between the Saudi foreign minister and the Arab League secretary general, Palestinian demands, and Arab concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme.

The channel this time started with the Iraqi file, “an important axis in the summit,” and carried video reports on the summit’s deliberations over Iraq, the new Iraqi oil law, which is accused of reinstating foreign monopoly over the Iraqi oil sector, and expectations that the summit will request the “amendment of a number of contentious clauses in the constitution,” including its preamble and clauses pertaining to federalism and the distribution of wealth.

The channel proceeded to repeat its previous remarks on the summit and its deliberations, and interviewed at 0938 gmt Nabil Amr, adviser to the Palestinian president, to comment on Israel’s refusal of the Arab peace initiative, future Arab steps, and guarantees that this initiative will not meet the same fate previous initiatives and plans did.

At 0947 gmt, the channel interviewed Hoshyar Zebari, who commended the summit’s position on Iraqi affairs, talked about relations with Syria, disagreed with the Saudi king’s remarks that the foreign forces in Iraq are occupation forces or that Iraq is on the verge of civil war, and commented on the success of the Baghdad security plan and the amendment of the deba’thification law.

At 1026 gmt, Al-Arabiya went live to Riyadh to carry, in full, the summit’s closing session. The channel resumed its special coverage immediately following the summit’s end at 1255 gmt and proceeded to highlight parts of the speeches of Arab leaders.

The channel interviewed at 1305 gmt Maryam al-Rayyis, adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, to comment on President Talabani’s use of the term coalition forces as opposed to occupation forces, his holding of terrorist groups fully responsible for the violence in Iraq, and his remarks on improved freedoms, public representation, and political participation even though Sunnis, according to the channel, “are not widely represented,” as well as the summit’s suggestion that the Iraqi constitution be amended.

At 1314 gmt, Al-Arabiya interviewed Palestinian Planning Minister Dr Samir Abu-Aysha to comment on Palestinian President Abbas’s proposal that a committee be set up to activate the Arab initiative, Israel’s rejection of the initiative and means of persuading it to accept it, and Arab financial support.

At 1327 gmt, the channel interviewed Lebanese Communications Minister Marwan Hamadah to comment on President Bashar’s remarks that the solution in Lebanon hinges on Lebanese accord, the effects of improved Saudi-Syrian ties on the internal Lebanese scene, internal Lebanese dialogue, the UN secretary general’s upcoming visit to Lebanon, and the international tribunal’s significance to stability in Lebanon.

At 1347 gmt, the channel Al-Arabiya interviewed Dr Harun Abd-al- Hamid of the Justice and Equality Movement to comment on whether or not there has been a breakthrough in the Darfur issue, and on whether international intervention is likely in Darfur.

At 1355 gmt, Al-Arabiya starts to carry live the news conference by Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa and Saudi Foreign Minister Sa’ud al-Faysal.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.