"These are all expatriate Iranians, not Kuwaitis," the report said.
Titled "Saudi Media Take the Lead Against Iran's Regime," the report
said the demonstrations in Kuwait marked an exception in the Arab
reaction to the anti-government protests throughout Iran. The report said
most Arab Sunni states were playing down the violence in Iran, with people
concerned over the economy.
"In Jordan, according to one credible account, 'The only issues right
now are food, tea, and coffee. My relatives have not said one word about
Iran,'" the report said.
Arab media outlets have also largely played down the unrest in Iran. A
key exception has been Saudi Arabia, whose newspapers have taken the lead in
criticizing the Ahmadinejad regime.
As a result, Iran has expelled the staff of the Teheran bureau of the
Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel. In contrast, Al Arabiya's main
competitor, Qatar's A-Jazeera, has appeared sympathetic to Teheran.
"The media of Syria, Qatar, and Hizbullah have openly aligned themselves
with Ahmadinezhad and the Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, even as some
in Washington look for signs of divergence," the report said. "Although some
uneasiness or hedging of bets may happen behind the scenes, the outward
posture remains as solidly aligned with Teheran as ever."
