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O 300844Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8017
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS DAMASCUS 001430 
 
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: President Asad's Interview 
with US PBS TV Network, Arab Summit, Palestine, Iraq 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Syrian papers today led with President Asad's 
interview with the US PBS TV Network. All papers headlined 
President Asad's statement "We want to cooperate with the US 
Administration, and we can find common interests." 
 
The Khartoum Summit was the second focal topic in the Syrian 
papers, which reported president Asad's return to Syria after 
taking part in the summit and conducting a series of meetings 
with leaders, presidents and delegations: Sheikh Hamad Bin 
Khaleifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al- 
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler 
of Dubai; Sheikh Sef bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE Minister of 
Interior; Sheikha Lubna al-Qasmi, the UAE Minister of Economy and 
Planning;  Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Qarqawi, the UAE Minister 
of State for the Affairs of the Prime Ministry; Palestinian 
President Mahmoud Abbas; and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah al- 
Saleh. 
 
Papers also featured Russian President Vladimir Putin's message 
to the summit calling for an end to all kinds of foreign 
intervention in Lebanese internal affairs and Syrian-Lebanese 
relations, pointing to the necessity of maintaining cooperation 
between them. Putin said that the Arab initiative launched in the 
Beirut Arab Summit of 2002 paved the way for realizing inter- 
related strategic goals, including "ending the occupation which 
has started in 1967, establishing a sovereign Palestinian state, 
and reviving the Mideast peace process from the point at which it 
stopped." He underlined the need to work with a spirit of 
partnership among all civilizations, starting from regional 
initiatives and taking into consideration the region's 
experiences and traditions. As for the Palestinian situation, the 
Russian President underscored the need to recognize the new facts 
resulting from the latest democratic Palestinian elections, 
pointing out that his country has started dialogue with Hamas, 
starting from this recognition and based on the position of the 
quartet. 
 
Regarding Iraq, Putin called for preservation of Iraq's unity, 
safety and territorial integrity and serious efforts to hinder 
its slide into civil war, "that can only be accomplished by an 
Iraqi national concord and ending the foreign military presence 
on Iraqi soil," he added. 
 
He committed to work hard to solve the Dafur issue and bring 
about peace in Sudan. "Russia intends to develop multilateral 
cooperation with the Arab League," Putin added, expressing 
confidence that cooperation between Russia and the Arab countries 
will be enhanced and expanded to serve all parties' interests. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2. Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad gives an interview to the American PBS TV 
Network, addressing local, regional and international issues. 
President Asad: We would like to see peace, stability, prosperity 
and better standards of life in our country; we are going to play 
our role in the region, but we have many obstacles; some of them 
are related to us and nobody else; and some are related to the 
international situation; what we warned the USA and the world 
against before invading Iraq is happening now everyday; stability 
in Iraq serves our interests; every imported democracy is a 
failure; we want to cooperate with the US Administration, and we 
can find common interests" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/29) 
 
"The Khartoum Summit holds two closed-door sessions, discusses 
situations in Iraq, Palestine and Darfur. President Asad reviews 
with Arab leaders and heads of participating delegations recent 
developments and the situation in Iraq" (Government-owned Al- 
Thawra, 3/29) 
 
"President Putin addresses a message to the Arab summit 
discouraging foreign intervention in Lebanese internal affairs 
and Syrian-Lebanese relations" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/29) 
 
"The government of Prime Minister Hanieh wins the confidence of 
the Palestinian Legislative Council with a majority of 71 votes" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/29) 
 
"Israeli parties Kadima and Labor are neck to neck in the Israeli 
elections. 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------ 
"2006 No's" 
 
------------ 
 
Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al- 
Thawra, wrote (3/29): "The Arab summit in Khartoum must be a 
summit of resolutions, not a summit of slogans.... 
 
"Convening the Arab summit, in itself, is important because it 
reflects commitment to the principle of Arab solidarity. But 
this is not enough. The summit must be a forum for implementing 
resolutions, not for making statements of condemnation and 
rejection.... 
 
"For example, the time has come for the expressions of support 
for the Palestinian people to turn into tangible actions. HAMAS 
now needs everyone to help it succeed. Arabs shoulder a big 
responsibility here, especially since HAMAS is the choice of the 
Palestinian people.... 
 
"The Iraqi file, which is susceptible to painful wounds, needs 
real action based on a solution that protects Iraq from division 
in a way that guarantees the departure of the occupation forces. 
If others are doing everything they can to divide Iraq -- land 
and people -- Arabs are required to make tremendous efforts to 
stop this...." 
 
----------- 
 
"The Test" 
 
----------- 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(3/29): "The Arab situation today has changed since the Arab 
summit in Khartoum in 1967, which adopted strict anti-Israel 
resolutions.... 
 
"In the name of realism some Arabs adopted an approach that 
conflicted totally with the approach decided in Khartoum in 
1967.... 
 
"But we understand realism to mean dealing with reality without 
relinquishing land, rights, and sanctities, and without raising 
the white flag and saying loudly and publicly that we have been 
defeated only because our enemy is stronger than we are and is 
protected by a superpower that defends it and prevents the 
United Nations from punishing or condemning it.... 
 
"In Khartoum today Arabs face a new test for their will and 
resolve. Passing this test is more than a pressing need. Failure 
is inadmissible under any pretext. The Arab scene, from Iraq to 
Palestine to Lebanon, needs no explanations, interpretations, or 
analyses. The Arab nation is under siege, facing extremely 
dangerous challenges. The Arab peoples, who aspire to the 
highest level of solidarity, cohesion, and unity, might become 
content with the lowest level of Arab solidarity. But neither 
the Arab peoples nor history will be merciful, if we fail this 
test or if anyone of us tries to go a single step below this 
lowest level. We have great hopes in the leaders of the nation 
and the new summit in Khartoum...." 
 
------------------------ 
 
"Rice's New Expectation" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Bassam Radwan, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(3/29): "US Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice stated that a big 
reduction of American troops in Iraq is likely to be made this 
year or next in view of the fact that the Iraqi forces are 
making progress in controlling the country.... 
 
"The departure of foreign forces from Iraq is the starting point 
for fraternal Iraq to recover ... its sovereignty and stability 
after its destruction by an aggressive war machine and after 
loss of its independence in an illegitimate war launched on the 
basis of completely false pretexts. 
 
"The true reason for the expected US withdrawal, however, is the 
fierce resistance by Iraqis.... The New York Times revealed that 
President Bush informed British Prime Minister Tony Blair that 
he was determined to invade Iraq whether or not the country had 
WMD.... This means that the head of the British government bears 
the same ethical, legal, and historical responsibility as the 
American president and his administration for the major crime 
and its destructive results for Iraq, the region, and world 
peace generally...." 
 
Seche