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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #2379/01 1431009
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231009Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9128
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5972
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3834
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2348
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7040
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1011
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4413
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0636
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6777

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002379 
 
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/EU, Syria/Iran, 
US/Syria, Beirut-Damascus Declaration, Lebanon/Resolution 1680, 
Iraq (5/19-21) 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Syrian papers reported a Syrian Foreign Ministry 
response to a May 19 European Presidency statement expressing EU 
concern about what it called the recent widespread harassment of 
human rights defenders in Syria. The EU 
Presidency urged Syria 
to review the cases of political prisoners, and immediately 
release all "prisoners of conscience". It expressed its deep 
concern about the recent widespread harassment of human rights 
defenders, their families and peaceful political activists, in 
particular arbitrary arrests and repeated incommunicado 
detention. The Syrian Foreign Ministry source said the EU 
statement is an improper interference in Syrian domestic affairs 
because the issues it covers fall within the national 
sovereignty of states and their mission of protecting the 
interests of their peoples and applying their legal systems. The 
source said: "States that have allowed secret prisons to fly in 
their skies and land in their airports and have agreed to build 
secret prisons on their territory in clear violation of the most 
 
SIPDIS 
fundamental principles of human rights and relevant 
international agreements cannot claim to be defenders of human 
rights or use this excuse to meddle in the internal affairs of 
other countries." The source added: "Countries which have 
imposed a siege to starve the Palestinian people and foil their 
free choice do not have the moral right to claim that they 
champion human rights and democracy." The statement concluded by 
saying: "The government of the Syrian Arab Republic is highly 
surprised by the statement of the European Presidency, and it 
calls on it to stop these bald attempts to interfere in Syrian 
domestic affairs." 
 
Papers also reported President Asad's and Vice President Shara's 
meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki, who conveyed a 
message from Iranian President Ahmadinezhad on the latest 
regional and international developments. Talks dealt with the 
latest Iraqi and Palestinian developments, and with Iran's 
nuclear file. Mottaki briefed Syrian officials on the results of 
his tour of a number of countries in the region. The Syrian 
President said that it is the legitimate right of all countries, 
including the Islamic Republic of Iran, to benefit from nuclear 
energy. The Syrian President criticized UN resolution 1680 as a 
blow to the national sovereignty of two independent countries, 
forcing them to set up political relations and demarcation of a 
frontier line. On Iraqi developments, the Syrian president said, 
"We back and welcome the political process for formation of a 
new Iraqi government, and Syria is keen on expansion of full 
relations with Iraq." 
 
The Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted a source at the Ministry of 
Education as saying that the Ministry "holds the American School 
in Damascus responsible for the death of a Syrian school girl 
during a trip to the Syrian Desert, saying the accident that took 
her life was due to the absence of needed safety measures." 
Sources at the Ministry of Education said the American School was 
not authorized under the Private Education Law and that it is 
breaking the law by admitting Syrian students. The school did not 
get permission for this trip in the first place, the source 
added. "The School's Administration is fully responsible for the 
students' safety," the sources said. The mourning father told 
SANA that "the school should be closed." Ahmad al-Samman said the 
school was responsible for his daughter's death and accused it of 
negligence, the official agency reported. In a very unusual 
precedent, Tishreen, the only Syrian daily that is issued on 
Saturday, covered the story on the first page, with a photo of 
the child. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Official source at the Foreign Ministry criticizes the European 
Union Presidency statement as an improper intervention in Syria's 
internal affairs. The source adds: The Syrian government is 
astonished at the statement's content and urges the EU Presidency 
to stop such blatant attempts to interfere in Syria's affairs" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/21) 
 
 
"President Asad receives a message from Iranian President 
Ahmadinejad on latest regional and international developments. 
President Asad reviews with Mottaki the situations in Iraq and 
Palestine, and means of resisting pressure.  Mottaki: UNSC 
Resolution 1680 violates international law. FM Mouallem: Priority 
is for national sovereignty and our people's interests" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/19) 
 
"Nour al-Samman, a student at the American School in Damascus, 
is killed in an accident that was caused by lack of safety 
measures. The American School in Damascus is not authorized 
under law of private education to accept Syrian students. The 
school did not get approval from the ministry for the trip to 
Palmyra. The Minister of Education and the student's father hold 
the American School responsible for the child's death" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/20 
 
"Extensive denunciations of UNSC Resolution 1680: Violation of 
the UN charter and rude intervention in relations between the 
two sister countries" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/20) 
 
"Extensive Lebanese denunciation of UNSC resolution 1680, which 
is depicted as a risky turning point in the life of Lebanon and 
relations with Syria. Russia says UNSC Resolution 1680 is not 
consistent with the content of Annan's report" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 5/19) 
 
"The Iraqi National Unity Government formed by Iraqi Premier 
Nouri al-Malki obtains the Iraqi Parliament's confidence. Scores 
of Iraqis killed or wounded during attacks in Baghdad, Mosul, 
al-Qaem and al-Basra" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/21) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
"Between May 1983 and May 2006" 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
Muhammad al-Khadr, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
wrote (5/19): "In May 1983, the Lebanese government signed a 
short-lived agreement with Israel.... This May, the ruling 
parliamentary majority in Lebanon is calling for the 
establishment of diplomatic relations between Beirut and 
Damascus, claiming that this is necessary for Lebanon's 
sovereignty and independence. But this majority does not see the 
Israeli occupation of Shab'a Farms and Israel's daily violation 
of Lebanon's land, sea, and airspace as an encroachment on 
Lebanese sovereignty.... 
 
"What is happening in Lebanon today and what is being planned is 
bigger than these people. But the problem is not here. The 
problem and the danger lie in leaving this Arab country as a 
pawn in the American plan, which, under the pretext of 
protecting Lebanon, seeks to separate it from its Arab body, 
just as the agreement of surrender [of 17 May 1983] sought to 
do, and to apply pressure on Syria. In the past few months we 
have seen many small details jumping to the top of the agendas 
of the US State Department and the French Foreign Ministry, and 
indeed the UN Security Council. In this sense one can understand 
Security Council Resolution 1680...." 
 
---------------------- 
 
"What a Proclamation!" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned 
Tishreen, commented (5/19): "The Beirut-Damascus Declaration is 
a product of the Lebanese who say that Israel is not an enemy of 
Lebanon.... 
 
"It is insane to blame Syria for the current situation in 
 
 
Lebanon at a time when everyone knows that the parties who are 
tampering with Lebanon are Israelis, through Americans, and a 
group of Lebanese who hate Syria and say that it, not Israel, is 
the enemy.... 
"The declaration ignores Syria's support for Lebanon and the 
fact that Syria has withdrawn from Lebanon completely.... The 
declaration coincided with pressure on Syria through the 
Security Council...." 
 
-------------- 
 
"Bush- Olmert" 
 
-------------- 
 
Ahmad Hamadah, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
commented (5/19): "The US Administration is expected to applaud 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Convergence Plan when he 
visits Washington next week. The United States will portray the 
plan as a step toward peace and a painful Israeli concession for 
which the Palestinians must thank the Israeli government.... 
 
"The US Administration is not concerned about Israel's 
withdrawal to the June 4, 1967, border and the return of 
Palestinian refugees to their land and homes, or about the 
creation of the independent Palestinian state. It is only 
concerned with one thing: opening its doors and heart to Olmert 
and providing maximum support for his government program without 
any regard for international legitimacy...." 
 
Seche