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DE RUEHDM #2337/01 1381210
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O 181210Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9079
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5963
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3827
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2340
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7033
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1001
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4405
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0628
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6769

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002337 
 
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: UN Security Council resolution 
1680, Beirut-Damascus Declaration (5/18) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers featured a statement by the Syrian 
Foreign Ministry on the UN Security Council Resolution 1680 that 
was passed on Wednesday saying it poses "an unprecedented 
measure of interference in the core of sovereign and bilateral 
issues for member states to the United Nations. 
Commenting on the UNSC resolution dealing with diplomatic ties 
between Syria and Lebanon and border demarcation, the source 
noted that UNSC resolution 1559 did not refer to these two issues 
which had been inserted into international envoy Larsen's report 
in an artificial way and contrary to his mandate, ignoring that 
Syria has announced that it has no objection in principal to 
establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries when 
there is adequate circumstances and atmosphere. 
 
It said the issue was originally discussed in a positive way in 
the recent meeting of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council. It 
added that Syria had notified Lebanon by a letter from the Prime 
Minister of Syria dated 11/14/2005 of its approval of the bill to 
resume action of the joint border committee between the two 
countries. 
 
"Therefore the insistence of the resolution adopters to allow the 
UNSC interfere in contrary to the charter rules as well as Vienna 
Accord for diplomatic relations in issues under examination in a 
positive way, poses as an unjustified pressure as well as a 
provocation that will complicate issues instead of solving them," 
the source said. 
 
The source added that Syria had repeatedly underscored that by 
redeploying all its armed forces and security apparatus from 
Lebanon on 4/26/05 Syria has met all its commitments under 
resolution 1559, but the adopters of resolution 1680, ignored on 
purpose Syria's positive stance and refrained from including it 
in the resolution. 
 
The MFA source said that Syria has taken the necessary procedures 
to control borders with Lebanon and prevent infiltration from and 
to Syria, pointing out that the report of Larsen underlined the 
halt of all arms smuggling operations since February 2006 and 
this is something that UNSC resolution did not mention. As 
Larsen's report and the issued resolution both did not deal with 
Lebanese media reports of arms smuggling operations to Lebanon by 
sea in favor of some Lebanese political sides, "therefore its 
ignorance does not serve the proclaimed quest for achieving 
security and stability in Lebanon." 
 
The source noted that if the aim of the resolution adopter is to 
keep the sovereignty, independence and safety of the Lebanese 
territories as they claim, then where is their keenness while 
Israel's sea, land and air violations are repeated nonstop until 
now. These issues are ignored on purpose in the resolution, 
pointing out that their actions serve Israeli goals in the 
region. 
 
It added that Syria appreciates and thanks the understanding 
stances that a majority of the UNSC members voiced via 
consultations over Syria's stance that asserts her keenness on 
Lebanon's sovereignty and independence as well as its regional 
safety, and on establishing normal relations between Syria and 
Lebanon reflecting the two peoples and sisterly countries 
interests far away from any foreign interference. Therefore, 
Syria sees that some parties that pushed to adopt the bill are 
concerned in the first and last place with executing its 
intentions and planned political schemes that target Syria and 
Lebanon as well as the region regardless of the two peoples 
interests and the security and stability in the region. 
 
Papers also reported Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem's 
political review at the People Assembly in which he renewed 
Syria's desire to develop and boost relations with Lebanon in the 
interest of both countries. 
 
"There are several pending issues we wish to study with Lebanon 
including diplomatic relations and border demarcation beginning 
from the northern borders; this requires finding a suitable and 
 
positive atmosphere between the two countries," Foreign Minister 
said. 
 
"To mount pressure on the country, they accused Syria of the 
crime of assassinating former Lebanese Hariri without any 
evidence though Syria is the main loser from this crime; this 
proves that this crime is one part of a conspiracy against Syria 
and Lebanon," Mouallem added. 
 
On Iraq, the Minister said that "Syria has always asked for a 
timetable for the foreign troops' withdrawal from Iraq; this 
timetable could relieve the Iraqi people that occupation is going 
to an end." 
 
"At the same time, Syria supports the ongoing political process 
in Iraq, particularly because its success will enable the would- 
be national government to ask the withdrawal of occupation troops 
and the restoration of Iraq sovereignty," Mouallem added. 
On regional developments, the Minister underscored "We live in a 
wavering world that is changing from a bipolar world to a 
unilateral, and in our region, the world has changed to the 
unilateral pole which is allying with Israel." 
 
"Current developments rendered a complicated and tense situation 
in the regional and international levels; in particular, those 
conditions put Syria in the US sights due to her national stances 
and rejection of war on Iraq," Foreign Minister said. 
 
He added that the change of the regional power balances on the 
ground didn't affect Syria's steadfastness led by President Asad 
through commitment to her principles despite increasing US and 
non-US pressures. 
 
The Minister stressed that in spite of US pressure on Syria to 
make the country isolated, Syria maintains good relations with 
the Arab countries, Iran, China and Russia as well as most of the 
Asian and European states. On relations with European countries, 
Mouallem said that the Association Agreement has not been signed 
as planned due to the US pressure and some EU states' stance, 
adding "we are awaiting EU stances to be less affected by US 
policies." 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"In a political review at the People's Assembly, Foreign Minister 
Walid al-Mouallem: We are optimistic and our position is 
improving despite all the tension.... The US project is 
complicated and has failed in Iraq" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
5/18) 
 
"An official source at the Foreign Ministry on the UN Security 
Council resolution 1680 describes the resolution as an 
unprecedented measure in international relations and it service 
Israeli interests. The source added that we care for sovereignty 
and independence of Lebanon and that Syria has met all 
commitments with regard to resolution number 1559. Russia, China 
and Argentina Representatives at the UN Security Council: "There 
is no need for such resolution and it contradicts the Syrian- 
Lebanese relations" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/18) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------- 
 
"Why was the Beirut-Damascus Declaration Issued Now? The 
Declaration Absolves Israel and the United States and Accuses 
Syria" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------- 
 
A political commentator wrote in government-owned Tishreen 
(5/18): "Two days ago, and in a surprising move, a number of 
Syrian and Lebanese 'intellectuals' issued a statement they 
 
called 'the Beirut-Damascus Declaration'. The statement painted 
a gloomy picture of the Syrian-Lebanese relations and contained 
many exposed falsehoods that do not convince a sensible mind or 
stand up to logic and evidence. 
 
"Irrespective of the mistakes it contained, the injustice it did 
to Syria and its role, and the disregard it showed for all the 
sacrifices that Syria made over the years for the sake of 
Lebanon, the declaration suspiciously coincided with the 
intensive efforts that the administration of US President George 
Bush is making to obtain a new Security Council resolution 
calling on Syria to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon. 
These malicious efforts are part of an American-Israeli campaign 
of pressure and threats against Syria. The question is: Why was 
the declaration issued at this particular time? 
 
"One of the peculiarities of the declaration is that it tried to 
link the tension and the deterioration in the Syrian-Lebanese 
relations to the extension of President Emile Lahhud's term, not 
to the attempt by some Lebanese to use the bilateral relations 
in the recent period to serve their own interests and, 
consequently, to their exploitation of the assassination of 
former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri to blow up the relations 
between the two countries and use Lebanon as a tool for 
aggression, invasion, and flagrant interference in Syria's 
affairs. 
 
"It is strange that the signatories to the declaration ignored 
the most important stages in the history of the relations 
between the two countries and Syria's role before, during, and 
after the civil war. Syria worked at the various stages to 
preserve Lebanon's sovereignty and independence, whether during 
the American intervention in 1958 or during the Israeli 
aggressions before the deployment of the Syrian troops, a 
deployment that was based on a Lebanese, Arab, and international 
request. The signatories also ignore Syria's role over 30 years 
in ending the civil war, foiling the 17 May agreement, and 
confronting Israeli aggression. 
 
"Today the signatories to the Declaration have acquitted Israel 
and the Bush administration of all the disasters and tragedies 
that Lebanon experienced and is still experiencing under the 
American policy of hegemony and domination and leveled the 
accusation to Syria. We cannot assume good intentions here. 
 
"We will not mention all the falsehoods in which the 
declaration's signatories entrapped themselves, from the issue 
of the assassination of Prime Minister Al-Hariri to the claim 
that the presence of the Syrian workers in Lebanon 'harms the 
Lebanese' -- something with which the Lebanese politicians and 
economists themselves disagree. Falsehoods, mistakes, and 
unfairness to Syria and the truth characterize the declaration 
and the signatories. This calls for legitimate questions about 
the motives of the declaration, the instigators, and the 
signatories. We leave this for the enlightened citizens to 
judge." 
 
------------------- 
 
"Submerge in Shame" 
 
------------------- 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(5/18): "The Syrian and Lebanese intellectuals, who signed the 
Beirut-Damascus Declaration, have forgotten all the sacrifices 
and martyrs that Syria offered for the sake of Lebanon and 
became involved, in good or bad faith, in the unjust and obvious 
campaign that the administration of US President Bush is leading 
against Syria.... 
 
"These intellectuals suggest in their statement that Syria 
threatens Lebanon while they forget Israel, its subversive role, 
and its ceaseless aggression.... 
 
"Despite this, we still believe that the genuine national 
 
intellectuals realize the dimensions of the unjust campaign 
against Syria. Throughout the Arab world, these intellectuals 
defend Damascus' national and pan-Arab positions. In every time 
and place we see rare groups that ignore facts and accept to 
sink in shame and get involved in campaigns against the forces 
of resistance and steadfastness. And we realize that even within 
these groups some individuals were misled by attractive slogans. 
But the truth will expose these people no matter how long it 
takes...." 
 
--------------- 
 
"Upcoming Dues" 
 
--------------- 
 
Khalid al-Ashhab, an editorialist in government-owned Al- 
Thawrah, wrote (5/18): "There are growing indications that the 
American political plan in the Arab region has reached the last 
stages of bankruptcy, or let us say entered the stage of retreat 
and withdrawal.... 
 
"While, historically, the failure of US plans in the region is 
nothing new, the failure of this particular plan will be 
different because it will affect not only the administration 
that adopts it and the tools that are being used to implement 
it, but also a whole trend that brings together many Americans 
who agreed, consciously or unconsciously, on a host of ideas and 
thoughts that constitute the ideological structure of this 
plan.... 
 
"This ideology turned the United States into an international 
enemy that will need many years before it comes out of the 
corner into which it backed itself. 
 
"If the United States and Americans get a chance to clean and 
rehabilitate themselves, what chance do those non-Americans who 
gratuitously recruited themselves in the service of American 
plan will have to clean a picture that has become worse and 
uglier than the American picture itself?" 
 
Seche