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DE RUEHDM #2516/01 1521327
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O 011327Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9290
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5995
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3856
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2373
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7062
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1041
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4435
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0658
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6799

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002516 
 
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/UK, Syria/China, Lebanon, 
Palestinian dialogue, Iran, Kabul unrest (6/1) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers continued to report on Foreign 
Minister Walid al-Mouallem's visit to China, featuring his 
meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Earlier, President Hu 
Jintao opened the second ministerial meeting of the Arab-Chinese 
Cooperation Forum in the presence of Foreign Minister Mouallem. 
In an opening speech, the Chinese President said that his 
country will continue supporting just Arab causes, stressing the 
importance of boosting cooperation and friendship between China 
and Arab countries. Minister Mouallem also met directors of 
strategic research centers and chiefs of some Chinese mass 
media, in addition to the Arab-Chinese Friendship Association, 
at the Syrian Chancery in Beijing. During the meeting, the 
Minister briefed the Chinese side on the situation in the Middle 
East and Syria's stance regarding regional and international 
issues, in addition to bilateral relations between Syria and 
China. In a similar meeting with the Syrian community in 
Beijing, Minister Mouallem presented an explanation of Syrian 
foreign policy. Later, the Minister said in a speech to the 
Chinese official "People's" Daily that Syria and China maintain 
strong relations, adding that these relations have achieved 
great progress in recent years, particularly after President 
Asad's visit to China. "My visit to China aims at deepening the 
political dialogue and boosting bilateral relations in all 
fields," Mr. Mouallem added. On the Middle East issue, the 
Foreign Minister criticized Israel's rejection of the Arab peace 
initiative of Beirut: "Israel, through its aggressive policy, 
supported by its ally the US, obstructs the peace process in the 
Middle East."  On Iraq, the Foreign Minister underlined that 
"Syria backs the political process in Iraq. Syria has begun 
contacts with the Iraqi side to resume diplomatic relations with 
it.... Syria will support Iraq to achieve security and stability 
and reach a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces from 
its lands...." 
 
Papers also reported the visit to Damascus by Richard Spring, 
Member of the British House of Commons and Member of the British- 
Syrian Association, citing his meeting with Vice President 
Farouk al-Shara that addressed the latest regional and 
international developments and bilateral relations between Syria 
and the United Kingdom. Mr. Shara expressed appreciation for 
efforts of the British-Syrian Association to clarify the real 
situation in the region and to create cultural interaction and 
understanding between Arabs and Europeans. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Al-Shara discusses current regional developments and bilateral 
relations with British MP Richard Spring. Shara hails efforts 
made by the British-Syrian Association" (Government-owned Al- 
Thawra, 6/1) 
 
"Chinese President receives al-Mouallem. Jintao confirms: We 
support Arab issues whatever the developments are. Al-Mouallem: 
We have a deep-rooted relationship with China" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 6/1) 
 
"Political, intellectual, religious, cultural and judicial 
personalities condemn and reject the Damascus-Beirut Declaration, 
indicating that it converges with the US agenda and ignores the 
Israeli factor, which has committed the ugliest crimes in 
Lebanon" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/1) 
 
"A dramatic shift in the US position: Washington is ready for 
direct negotiations with Iran" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/1) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
"When Olmert Asks for the Implementation of Resolution 1559" 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (6/1): "Those who watched recent developments in the 
south against the background of the open Israeli aggression from 
Al-Naqurah to Shab'a, which came two days after the criminal 
assassination of martyrs Mahmud and Nidal al-Majdhub in Sidon, 
were surprised to see Israel, which bombed and destroyed areas 
and killed innocent people, threaten to file a complaint with 
the Security Council. Why? Because Israel wanted to convey the 
message of a small group of people who are more concerned with 
Israeli affairs than the affairs of their own country, Lebanon. 
This message says: Lebanon should speed up the implementation of 
Resolution 1559 and disarm all 'the Lebanese and non-Lebanese 
militias!' This is what the Israeli officials demanded that 
Lebanon do after the ceasefire. Otherwise, as Olmert threatened, 
Lebanon will receive a painful strike! 
 
"Who stands to gain from disarming the resistance? And don't the 
Israeli aggressions constitute a clear message to all those who 
wager on the American role in the region? 
 
"Why is Israel interested in the implementation of one 
particular Security Council resolution -- 1559 -- when it 
ignores more than 40 resolutions against it? 
 
"This interest, undoubtedly, reflects the attempt by some 
Lebanese to open fire on the defense strategy of the resistance. 
These Lebanese believe that sovereignty will be complete only 
when the Israeli-American plan succeeds and Lebanon moves 
backward to the time when Israeli coordinator Yuri Lubrani moved 
freely in the country. The aim is to facilitate the Israeli 
excuses and plan, which seek to distract the Lebanese from the 
real conflict with the enemy and consolidate the theory that 
Israel is not an enemy. 
 
"But those who listen to the Lebanese nationalist voices, which 
were raised stressing that the resistance will not be harmed and 
that it will receive full support to confront the Israeli 
aggression, remain optimistic that Lebanon will not be led to 
positions that the United States and its ally want the country 
to be led to, and that those who want to take revenge against 
Lebanon's Arabism will not be given a chance." 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
"For a Successful Palestinian Dialogue" 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Adnan Ali, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, warned 
against the grave repercussions of the rising tension between 
Fatah and HAMAS. Ali said (6/1): "The attractive slogans about 
national unity and the prohibition of Palestinian bloodshed need 
to be translated into action.... All forces should match their 
words with actions and show responsibility in these difficult 
circumstances, where Israeli is working persistently to turn its 
plans on unilateral disengagement and the annexation of large 
West Bank areas into facts on the ground.... 
 
"Making the Palestinian national dialogue, which was launched a 
few days ago, a success is a sacred mission that all factions, 
particularly HAMAS and Fatah, must shoulder.... 
 
"The Palestinian people will ultimately call to account all 
those who fail to realize this fact." 
 
------------------ 
 
"No One to Answer" 
 
------------------ 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(6/1): "Has our European neighbor not heard the sound of 
warplanes and the explosion of bombs of all calibers as they 
fall over the heads of the Palestinians in the West Bank and the 
Gaza Strip? Have American and European eyes not seen the 
 
 
tragedies of the Palestinian people, who are starving under the 
yoke of a conspiratorial siege in which countries claiming to be 
civilized and defenders of human right participate? 
"Why did Europe and the United States remain silent when Israeli 
aircraft bombed Lebanon's Al-Biqa region and southern towns and 
villages and when the Israeli Mosad assassinated two Lebanese 
citizens in Sidon? Where are the advocates of Lebanon's 
sovereignty, independence, and freedom, who have let no 
opportunity slip to talk about what they called 'Syrian 
interference' in Lebanon? 
 
"In the eyes of the West, which yearns for the time of 
colonialism, Israel's aggression and terrorism is condoned as 
self defense, while every domestic measure an Arab country takes 
to protect its national unity, sovereignty, and freedom is 
called a violation of human rights.... 
 
"There is no point complaining because this is the nature of the 
colonialist West, which planted Israel six decades ago." 
 
------------------------ 
 
"Bush: Mission and Task" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Hanan Hamad, a columnist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(6/1): "The Afghan uprising in Kabul on May 29 and the American 
reaction showed that the Bush administration and those who work 
under its umbrella in Afghanistan have lost not only direction 
but also the objective and the compass.... 
 
"The road accident in Kabul was the straw that broke the camel's 
back.... The Afghani coercion exploded in the face of the 
occupier and the government it sponsors, and Afghans declared 
their categorical rejection of the American and European 
presence on their land and loudly protested their government's 
failure to bring the promised peace and stability.... 
 
"The incidents also showed the falsehood of the American claim 
that the Americans went to Afghanistan to save the Afghan 
people...." 
 
Seche