VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #2685/01 1591255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (508)
O 081255Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9485
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6013
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3873
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2396
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7079
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1064
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4452
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0675
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6816

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002685 
 
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/Cuba, Syria/Ukraine, 
Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories (6/8) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Papers reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. 
Faysal Miqdad conveyed an oral massage from President Asad to 
President Fidel Castro of Cuba during his meeting with Cuban 
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. The message focused on 
recent political developments in the Middle East and Latin 
America and on Syria's full solidarity with the Cuban people in 
the face of the American siege that has been imposed on Cuba for 
more than 40 years. The message expressed Syria's appreciation 
for Cuba's hosting the forthcoming summit of the Non-Aligned 
Movement (NAM) in Havana, and Syria's hope that the summit will 
enhance the movement's role in finding solutions to the 
political, economic and social challenges that member states are 
facing. The Cuban Foreign Minister expressed his country's 
support for Syria's national and principled stances in the face 
of the unjust pressures put on her and Syria's struggle to 
restore the occupied Golan. 
 
Papers also reported the visit to Damascus by Stanislav 
Stashevesky, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, and his 
meetings with Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem. Stashevesky 
underlined Syria's importance in the region, expressed 
satisfaction with the trade volume between the two countries and 
expressed his interest in expanding Syrian exports to Ukraine. 
 
End of Summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"A message from President Asad to President Castro conveyed by 
Deputy Foreign Minister Miqdad: Syria is confident of enhancing 
the NAM role in the forthcoming stage. Cuba reiterates support 
for Syria's just rights" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/8) 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem discusses current developments and 
bilateral relations with Stanislav Stashevesky, First Vice Prime 
Minister of Ukraine" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/8) 
 
"Lebanese powers confirm, on the eve of the Lebanese dialogue: 
Eradication of resistance and assuming power are priorities for 
the February 14 powers. Karami: The government must be foiled. 
Oun: A defensive strategy must be discussed. Mansour: Demand for 
demarcating Syrian-Lebanese borders is unpatriotic; the Security 
 
Council is a tool in the US hand" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
6/8) 
 
"Italian FM Dalima announces that pullout of Italian forces from 
Baghdad will be accomplished before the end of the year. US 
Senate demands revelation of secrets of the Al-Haditha massacre" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/8) 
 
"Tehran expresses readiness to reach an understanding on its 
nuclear crisis. Expectations on resuming dialogue with the West. 
Iranian FM Mitki: We prefer cooperation to confrontation" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/8) 
 
"Five Palestinian factions reject referendum on the Prisoner 
Document and support dialogue. Forces of the Palestinian Ministry 
of Interior withdraw from streets" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
6/8) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
"All of Us Are Within Israel's Security Lebensraum" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented on the 25th anniversary of Israel's air strike against 
the Iraqi nuclear reactor and the statement by the then Israeli 
PM Begin that Israel would not allow any threat from any country 
within its 'lebensraum,' which includes all Arab countries and 
neighboring Islamic countries: 
 
"All Arabs are targeted by the Israeli-American danger.... Arab 
 
brothers who believe they are safe from the dangers that blow 
from the West are mistaken. And those who believe that the 
current US Administration is only settling old and new scores 
with Syria are mistaken.... 
 
"It is true that Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon are being targeted 
these days, and that Iran has been added to this American list. 
What is truer, however, is that all Arabs, and even their 
neighbors, are targeted as long as they fall within what Israel 
calls the Israeli lebensraum...." 
 
---------------------- 
 
"Dialogue and Cabinet" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Shawkat Abu-Fakhr, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
wrote (6/8): "The Lebanese national dialogue is to be resumed 
today.... What is noteworthy is the climate of escalation and 
media exaggeration launched by some forces in Lebanon as part of 
their attempts to mobilize the public against the resistance and 
its weapons.... 
 
"UN Envoy Tejre Roed-Larsen is contributing to this climate 
through his statements, which cannot be read as statements made 
by a neutral international diplomat who is very familiar with 
the facts of the conflict.... 
 
"Some groups seek to create sedition in Lebanon through obvious 
attempts to harm the resistance and its sacrifices.... Other 
Lebanese groups are, however, showing a sense of responsibility 
and working to avoid splits and divisions among the Lebanese.... 
 
"The overwhelming majority of Lebanese now see the sessions of 
the dialogue conference as a waste of time, especially as they 
struggle against economic and social hardship...." 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"International Responsibility" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (6/8): "The International Quartet and the world community 
in general must shoulder their responsibility and stop Israel's 
'organized terrorism' and 'gradual genocide' against 
Palestinians.... Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, who won US 
support for his unilateral withdrawal plan, has begun 
implementing this plan, although he claims he will meet with 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as the last opportunity 
before the implementation.... 
 
"If the meeting takes place, it will not be better than the 
previous dozens of Israeli-Palestinian meetings that Israel 
exploited for media consumption and to delude world public into 
thinking that the peace process was still politically alive...." 
 
Seche