VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #1910/01 1161224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 261224Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8575
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5901
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3775
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2275
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 6982
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0925
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4356
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0577
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6721

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 001910 
 
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/Lebanon, Syria/Jordan, 
Syria/Turkey (4/26) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers briefly reported President Asad's 
meeting with Serge Brammertz, Head of the UN Committee 
investigating the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik 
al-Hariri.  Brammertz also held a meeting with Vice President Al- 
Sharaa, which was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed 
Arnous and Dr. Riyad Al-Daoodi, Legal Advisor of the Foreign 
Ministry. 
 
Papers also quoted a Syrian Foreign Ministry source as denying a 
statement by a Jordanian government spokesman about the smuggling 
of arms to Jordan via Syria. The source said "the claim that a 
military leader of Hamas, residing in Syria, was behind the 
operation, is absolutely inaccurate, and Syria has no knowledge 
of such a thing." The source added, "all Hamas leaders present in 
Syria are political leaders simply doing political and media 
tasks; they are committed to the Syrian policy that does not 
allow launching any military activity from its territory." 
 
 
Papers also reported the announcement by a Turkish economic 
official that the Turkish government would launch a new program 
to develop economic ties with Syria. Mohammed Jiraq, Chairman of 
Economic Ties and Technology in the Planning Institute of the 
Turkish government, stated that the program of cooperation 
between Syria and Turkey would be implemented within three years 
with USD 20 million in capital. "Work on this project started 
this year and will be finished in 2008 if agreement is reached 
between the two sides," Jiraq said, noting that the capital will 
be provided by the two governments. 
 
Papers also reported that President Lahoud met in Lebanon with a 
delegation representing the Regional Command of the Al-Ba'th 
Party of Lebanon, headed by Regional Secretary of the Party Ghazi 
Seifuddin. President Lahoud said that "dialogue among the 
Lebanese parties is the only way to solve disputes and to foil 
American and Israeli schemes." He added that "Syria has offered 
Lebanon all kinds of support and assistance to maintain the 
national accord, end the civil war and advocate national 
resistance." 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad and Vice-President Shara confer with Serge 
Brammertz" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 4/26) 
 
"A Foreign Ministry source denies weapons smuggling to Jordan 
through Syria. Involving Syria's name doesn't serve relations 
between Syria and Jordan. Hamas rejects Jordan's accusations: 
Baseless and false" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 4/26) 
 
"Ankara: A program has been launched to promote economic 
cooperation with Syria" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/26) 
 
"Lebanese President Lahoud reiterates the importance of national 
unity among the Lebanese" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 4/26) 
 
"US Secretary of State Rice: Iran is not Iraq; we prefer dialogue 
with it" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 4/26) 
 
"Explosions in Dahab in Egypt: 10 suspects arrested. Most recent 
official death toll: 18" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/26) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
Syrian Support of Palestinians Is a Pan-Arab and Humanitarian 
Commitment" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
Dr. Sa'id Musallam, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (4/26): "The important meetings that Palestinian FM al- 
Zahhar recently held in Damascus produced outstanding results at 
 
a time when the HAMAS-led Palestinian government is coming under 
growing international pressure.... 
 
"The unlimited Syrian support for Palestinians is not new.... 
What is more important in the Syrian message to the world is the 
need to respect the democratic option of the Palestinian people, 
not to punish them.... 
 
"Syria has decided to launch a popular fundraising campaign to 
help Palestinians, to upgrade diplomatic and humanitarian 
relations with the Palestinians, and to transfer the stranded 
Palestinians on the Iraqi-Jordanian border to Syria.... 
 
"Syria's growing support for Palestinians despite intensified 
international pressure, stems from firm Syrian beliefs and a 
principled Syrian position toward the Palestinian cause. It is a 
consolidation of Syria's pan-Arab convictions and inclinations, 
away from international equations that proceed from the American- 
Israeli decision...." 
 
-------------- 
 
"Big Dangers" 
 
-------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (4/26): "Palestinians must consolidate their national 
unity and unify their efforts to realize their objectives of 
ending the occupation and establishing their independent state. 
 
"It is obvious that Israel is the only enemy for Palestinians. 
Regardless of the nature of the Palestinian government, this 
enemy is working to implement a hostile Zionist plan aimed at 
uprooting the Palestinian people and capturing more of their 
territory.... 
 
"Palestinians must close ranks and rally around the Palestinian 
government and the Palestinian Authority.... Only then they will 
be able to break the siege and liberate their occupied lands.... 
All Arab countries must support Palestinians at this stage...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
"Extracted Intentions and Worrying Questions" 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
Ali Qasim, a columnist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(4/26): "Lebanese Prime Minister Fu'ad al-Saniora returned from 
the United States with an American intention to help Lebanon.... 
Large sectors of the Lebanese fear that this American intention 
would only pave the way for new chapters in the Lebanese 
tragedy.... 
 
"These fears are legitimate.... The results of Al-Saniora's 
visit jeopardize the Lebanese national dialogue conference, 
especially since Al-Saniora tried to suggest that many of the 
issues that will be discussed on 28 April have already been 
settled on the American level.... 
 
"What Al-Saniora did has resulted in his losing many of his 
political assets, especially as he tried to make himself a party 
to an equation that tries to take Lebanon to the other side...." 
 
---------------- 
 
"Exposed Policy" 
 
---------------- 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(4/26): "Criticism of the US Administration's foreign policies 
is on the rise in the United States.... 
 
"The American taxpayer discovered -- perhaps too late -- that 
 
his administration has misled him, from the time it declared war 
on terror to its current actions in Iraq under the guise of 
spreading democracy and defending human rights.... What is more 
tragic is that instead of correcting its mistakes, the US 
Administration is making more.... 
"We are not alone in criticizing American policy. Americans 
stand in the first trench in their rejection of their 
administration's policies, practices, and violations. It is 
enough for us that they stand with us in the same trench. What 
is important is that the American policy has been exposed." 
 
Seche