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FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7016
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5782
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3679
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2142
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 6905
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0778
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4262
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0494
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6641

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000527 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/S:STHIBEAULT AND 
JMCCARTER, VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, DBENZE AND 
AFERNANDEZ, IIP/G/NEA-SA RWINCHESTER 
WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC 
CENTCOM FOR CCPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY
SUBJECT: Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Russia, Lebanon, Iraq, 
Israel/Palestinians, US Policy (2/9) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers featured a statement by Alexy Tserub, 
Russian Ambassador in Tunis, during a press roundtable confirming 
his country's rejection of pressure against Syria. 
"Syria has implemented what was requested from her in the UN 
Security Council resolutions and she has fully cooperated with 
the international investigation committee into the assassination 
of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri," the Ambassador said. 
On the cartoons published by western newspapers insulting the 
Prophet Mohammad, Tserub condemned "this shameful act," saying 
"freedom of speech has limits," rejecting "offensive acts against 
cultures, religions and civilizations." 
Syrian papers also reported that Muqtada al-Sadder, Leader of the 
Al-Sadr movement in Iraq, has met Dr. Ziyad al-Ayoubi, Minister 
of Awkaf and has underlined the Ulama's role in unifying the Arab 
and Islamic people and in countering occupation. Al-Sader called 
for "rejecting sectarianism and alien appellations by foreigners 
that do not reveal the reality of tolerance in Islam." Al-Sader 
said that "Iraq needs the unified efforts of its sons to keep 
security and stability and achieve full independence far away 
from all divisions." For his part, Al-Ayoubi said that "Syria and 
Iraq are two sisterly countries united by history, people and 
joint interests and aims" and he asserted that Syria stands by 
Iraq, its territorial integrity and its freedom and independence. 
The Grand Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Ahmed Badriddin Hassoun, 
who attended the meeting, said that "Iraq constitutes a trust for 
our nation and we must work to foil any aggressive scheme aimed 
at dividing Iraq into small states and sects." He praised al- 
Sader's call to boost Iraq's unity and reject sectarianism noting 
that Syria will always stand by Iraq and back its right to peace 
and stability. 
End summary. 
 
¶2. Selected Headlines: 
 
"Muqtada al-Sadr Leader of the al-Sadr Movement in Iraq meets 
with Ziad al-Ayoubi, Syrian Minister of Awkaf, and Ahmad 
Badriddin Hassoun, Syria's Grand Mufti, who is calling for 
rejecting sectarianism and alien appellations" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 2/9) 
 
"Lebanese rejection of random arrests and accusations. Lebanese 
judicial circles: Syrian detainees have nothing to do with Al- 
Ashrafieh incidents" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/9) 
 
"The OIC calls for self-restraint and warns against Western 
campaigns that encourage hatred and violence" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 2/9) 
 
"The Norwegian Ambassador to Damascus expresses his country's 
condemnation of cartoons insulting Prophet Mohammed and says: our 
policy is based on tolerance and dialogue" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 2/9) 
 
"A French magazine publishes cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed; 
French President condemns such acts.  Javier Solana, European 
Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security 
Policy (CFSP), will tour Arab and Muslim countries to call for 
calm. Angry protests continue. Russian President Putin calls on 
Denmark to apologize" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/9) 
 
"Russia: Syria has carried out the UN Security Council 
resolutions and has cooperated with the UN investigation 
Committee" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/9) 
 
"Organized Israeli escalation to confuse Hamas. Mashaal: We will 
join resistance with politics" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/9) 
 
"Washington increases aid to Israel by 60 million USD. One 
Palestinian martyred in Al-Breij. Mashaal assures Palestinian 
factions: Resistance is our strategy. We will agree on managing 
the battle of resistance" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/9) 
 
"The final results of the Iraqi legislative elections will be 
announced tomorrow" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/9) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
------------------------------------- 
"Light of Truth and Bats of Darkness" 
------------------------------------- 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (2/9): "Despite its grave, tragic, and bloody nature, 
the political scene in the region has some positive spots and 
windows of hope and optimism. Not everything is moving in one 
direction, and not all the forces are working within the 
framework of the American plan.... 
"If some Lebanese parties showed their true face and declared 
their hostility toward the Lebanese resistance, Syria, and 
Arabism, joined the American-Zionist plan, and skillfully played 
-- and are still playing -- their set role, the Lebanese stage 
would witness new alignments by influential Lebanese forces that 
will take it upon themselves to protect Lebanon's security, 
sovereignty, and pan-Arab positions...." [The editorialist is 
implicitly welcoming the political agreement between Hizbollah 
and the Michel Awn-led Free Patriotic Movement in Lebanon.] 
------------------ 
"Canoe of Rescue" 
------------------ 
Ali Abd-al-Karim, a columnist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(2/9): "Some rational voices in Lebanon call for adopting 
national dialogue in their country and abandoning the language of 
accusations and the logic of whims, chauvinism, and personal 
interests.... 
"If these voices are added to the Lebanese national resistance's 
assets and political discourse, which is serious, flexible, and 
open to all Lebanese, and to the recent understanding between the 
resistance and the Free Patriotic Movement on common denominators 
regarding Lebanon, the elements of its national unity, its 
relations with Syria and Arabs, and its position toward the 
Israeli threat, then we can hope to see a genuine dialogue among 
all those who wish to build confidence among the Lebanese and 
between Lebanon and its brothers...." 
----------------------------------------- 
"Occupation is the Reason for the Problem" 
----------------------------------------- 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(2/9): "Israel is not interested in a genuine peace with 
Palestinians.... Israel's killing of seven Palestinians in the 
past two days shows the Europeans that the problem lies not with 
HAMAS but with the hostile Israeli policy. 
"Our question to the EU is: Why should Palestinians negotiate, 
and with whom should they negotiate, if the other side rejects in 
advance all peace requirements and most of the Palestinian 
rights? 
"The United States and the International Quartet are encouraging 
Israeli defiance and disobedience through their silence on Tel 
Aviv's constant violations of the UN resolutions and human right 
rules...." 
-------------------------- 
"Blood, Oil and Democracy" 
-------------------------- 
Khalid al-Ashhab, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
commented (2/9): "Thomas Friedman called on President Bush to 
find alternatives to oil because democracy will not be 
accomplished as long as Iran, Sudan, and Venezuela possess huge 
oil funds and as long as Europe, America, and China continue to 
beg these countries to extract their crude oil.... 
"Friedman and the Americans appear to have changed their 
positions after Iraq's lesson.... Have Americans, including 
Friedman, discovered that the price of oil is too high for them 
to pay? Or have they realized that homelands, in the eyes of 
their peoples, have prices that are higher than the price of oil, 
and even the price of blood, if blood has a price, and that all 
excuses, no matter how immaculate, collapse on the borders of 
these homelands....? 
"Friedman was right in his talk about oil and homelands, he would 
have been even more so if he ignored all talk about US 
democracy." 
Seche