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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #2033/01 1231229
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031229Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8718
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5915
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3788
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2294
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 6994
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0944
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4368
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0589
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6733

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002033 
 
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/Palestinians, Lebanon, 
Iraq, Terrorism (5/3) 
 
¶1. Summary: Syrian papers reported that Mohammed Zuhir al- 
Nashashibi, Member of the PLO Executive Committee, expressed 
thanks and great appreciation to President Asad for launching the 
national fundraising campaign for the Palestinian people.  "The 
Palestinian people appreciate the wise and brave policy of 
President Asad, who is doing his best to support the Palestinian 
people," Al-Nashashibi said in a meeting with Syria's ambassador 
to Jordan Ali Hammoud on Tuesday. 
 
Papers also featured a statement by Jamil Haek, Chairman of the 
Political Bureau of the Lebanese Amal Movement, that some 
ambassadors and envoys in Beirut are still trying to prevent the 
Lebanese from achieving reconciliation and to block restoration 
of normal Lebanese-Syrian relations. "Those ambassadors attempt 
to impose their vision on Syrian-Lebanese relations.... They seek 
to distance Lebanon from its Arab environment," Haek said in a 
speech at a celebration held by the Movement in south Lebanon to 
honor Lebanese martyrs. He called for a mechanism that will 
ensure the continuation of the Lebanese National Dialogue to 
reach understanding and reconciliation among the Lebanese. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2. Selected Headlines: 
 
"Mohammed Zuhir al-Nashashibi, Member of the PLO Executive 
Committee, thanks Syria and President Asad for the fundraising 
campaign for the Palestinian people" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
5/3) 
 
"Lahoud: We will not accept a president who will turn Lebanon 
over to Israel. Lebanese parties and figures denounce the attempt 
by some ambassadors of custodianship to prevent meeting among 
Lebanese and call for normalizing relations with Syria" 
(Government-owned Tishreen 5/3) 
 
"One US soldier killed in Baghdad. Clashes erupt in Al-Ramadi" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/3) 
 
"An imminent meeting will take place between Olmert and Mahmoud 
Abbas. Two Palestinians martyred in Israeli shelling of Jebalia. 
Israel declares maximum alert" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/3) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------ 
 
"Used Tools" 
 
------------ 
 
Abdul-Fattah Al-Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al- 
Thawra, on (5/3) criticized Iraqi President Jalal Talabani for 
his accusation that Syria is the main source of support for 
insurgents in Iraq, and Lebanese Druze leader Walid Junblatt for 
his reported meetings and contacts with Syrian Muslim 
Brotherhood leaders, but without naming them: "For some Arab 
officials, harming Syria is the shortest way to Bush's heart.... 
 
"It is a silly part of the picture that the hypocrite [Junblatt] 
meets with his brothers [Syrian Muslim Brotherhood] and receives 
contacts that ultimately concur with his call for the Americans 
to occupy Damascus. Jumping from Washington and embracing black 
ideas can only be done with an American remote control.... 
 
"A new round of lies is being cooked up against Syria.... 
Syria's position toward Iraq is clear.... Here no one hides his 
concern about Iraq's unity, not only geographic unity, but also 
the unity of the people, as the occupation never stops trying to 
create strife among Iraqis. 
 
"Syria also stresses the need for an announcement of the 
withdrawal of the occupation from Iraq, because it believes that 
occupation is the reason for all the problems.... 
 
"All this is in the context of the American-Israeli plan for the 
 
region.... The Syrian successes that have been scored, vis-a-vis 
the failure that slaps others every morning and evening, tempt 
others to direct further worthless 'offenses' against Syria, 
while they convince Syria ever more that it is moving in the 
right direction.... 
"Small pawns still have a role to play, but they should prepare 
themselves for an auction. It would be exciting to see some Arab 
officials being sold as used items." 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
"Terrorism on the largest scale " 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Commenting on the US State Department admission that terrorist 
operations worldwide in 2005 rose four-fold over the prior year, 
Isam Dari, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(5/2): "The problem and the tragedy is that US President George 
Bush's administration launched its war on terror without having 
a clear vision about terror.... 
 
"The US Administration labels every resistance as terrorism and 
defends the terrorism that some governments practice as self 
defense.... What is worse is that what the US Administration 
terms war on terrorism is seen by peoples and international 
organizations as institutionalized terrorism...." 
 
In an apparent reference to the Syrian Brotherhood, Isam Dari 
says: "The United States is opening its doors and funds to 
organizations that practiced terrorism on the largest scale, 
carried out terrorist operations against innocent civilians and 
government establishments, and assassinated scientists, 
intellectuals, religious figures, and others.... 
 
"Has the superpower in today's world sunk to the point of 
allying itself with terrorist movements in its war against a 
country like Syria, for example, to the point of welcoming these 
movements, instigating them to act, and asking its aides in the 
region to open their doors for them and hold in-depth and 
'fraternal' meetings and discussions with them? 
 
"The United States, through its war on terrorism, has become the 
biggest exporter of terrorism to the world...." 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
"Under the Pretext of Terrorism" 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
Umar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
(5/3): "There is a twisted logic in the US characterization of 
the countries and movements that resist occupation and reject 
the American hegemonic policy as terrorists or supporters of 
terrorism.... 
 
"Within this twisted logic, the US Administration issues a 
report that falsely accuses Syria of sponsoring terrorism 
because of the presence of media offices for Palestinian 
organizations in Syria. This administration forgets that, in 
Syria, there are Palestinian people who were expelled from their 
homeland and who defend their rights only with words.... How 
could this people and the country that hosts them be described 
as terrorists while Israel is not asked about the daily 
terrorism that it has been practicing for decades, and is not 
asked to implement UN resolutions? 
 
"Syria suffered from terrorism and from the terrorists who are 
now turning into dear guests of Washington and some of its 
allies in the region, allies who have labeled Syria as an enemy 
of Lebanon and Israel as a friend." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
 
"America, an Endeavor to Close Doors between Syria and Lebanon" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
Salim Aboud, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(5/3): "There is no crisis between Syria and Lebanon.... The 
current tension in relations between the two countries is caused 
by foreign interference.... 
 
"Syria and Lebanon can talk directly to resolve any issue.... 
The Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council still exists, and the 
economic and cultural agreements between the two countries are 
stronger than all the diplomatic representations that are 
embodied by embassies.... 
 
"Relations of blood, history, and geography have made Lebanon 
and Syria two countries with one people.... There is no evidence 
that Syria was involved in the Al-Hariri assassination.... The 
escalation between Lebanon and Syria serves American-Israeli 
interests.... 
 
"Washington and Tel Aviv are acting, not out of love for 
Lebanon, but out of hatred toward Syria because of its solid pan- 
Arab positions against the American-Israeli plans...." 
 
Seche