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DE RUEHDM #2822/01 1650908
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O 140908Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9649
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6026
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3885
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2406
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7089
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1076
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4462
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0687
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6826

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002822 
 
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/US, Syria/Venezuela, 
Syria/Iran, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Guantanamo 
Suicides (6/13) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers reported that FM Walid al-Mouallem 
received James Abourezek, Chairman of the American-Arab Anti- 
Discrimination Committee and former US Senator, and that they 
talked about American-Syrian relations, the situation in Iraq, 
and the Arab-Israel conflict. In a statement to SANA, Senator 
Abourezek stressed that solution of Arab-Israel conflict will 
lead to solution of all the problems in the Middle East.  He 
described his meeting with al-Muallem as "good and productive." 
 
Papers also reported the visit to Venezuela by Dr. Faysal 
Miqddad, Deputy Foreign Minister, who conveyed a message from 
President Asad to President Hugo Chavez about enhancing 
relations between Syria and Venezuela, about the current 
situation in the Middle East, and about Syria's view regarding 
developments in Latin American. President Chavez stressed that 
the two countries have identical views regarding issues 
connected with the Middle East and the world. He reviewed the 
positive changes in South America and the failure of the 
American policy of hegemony in many parts of the world. In a 
interview on Venezuelan TV, Dr. Miqdad expressed Syria's full 
support for Venezuela's non-permanent membership on the UN 
Security Council. 
 
On Syrian-Iranian relations, papers reported the visit to Tehran 
of Syrian Defense Minister Hasan Turkumani and his meetings with 
Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Iranian Defense Minister 
Mohammd Najjar, which focused on developments in the region and 
means of improving defense cooperation between Syria and Iran. 
 
Papers also reported a statement to Lebanese ANB satellite 
channel by Information Minister Dr. Muhsin Bilal, that Syria is 
initially satisfied with the report of Judge Serge Brammertz, 
head of the International Investigation Commission into the 
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. 
"Syria is now studying the report to make its final observations 
about it," he said. The minister noted that "Syria has from the 
very beginning demanded an objective, neutral, and professional 
report, especially after the first two reports of the 
investigation commission digressed so much that they harmed 
relations between Syria and Lebanon." Dr. Bilal said "Brammertz' 
latest report is technical to some extent and it avoids 
politicization." He stressed that Syria cooperated fully and 
from the beginning to accomplish a professional inquiry free 
from political motives. He said "former German Judge Detlev 
Mehlis based his reports on testimony by some Lebanese known for 
their hostility toward Syria and leveled accusations before 
searching for proof." He wondered how the assumption that the 
security services in a country knew in advance about a terrorist 
crime in their area of deployment could be legally and 
professionally acceptable. Noting that some parties accused 
Syria from the first moment of involvement in Al-Hariri's 
assassination, the minister pointed out that this accusation was 
directly associated with the change in regional political 
inclinations of those parties, for reasons that are known to 
them. Bilal said "Brammertz' meetings in Syria show Syria's good 
intentions and desire to help the investigation reach their 
objective goals." On Syrian-Lebanese relations, the information 
minister said, "There is no need for any country to intervene to 
restore normal relations between Syria and Lebanon. He said 
"Some Lebanese parties have harmed Syria and they should 
acknowledge their mistakes." He said, "Lebanese PM al-Saniora's 
visit to Damascus requires only the drafting of an agenda 
showing interest in the establishment of strong and outstanding 
relations between two sovereign countries." He said, "the road 
between Beirut and Damascus is very short, and one does not need 
to go to Damascus via Washington." The minister added: "We are 
watching the inter-Lebanese dialogue, and we expect the Lebanese 
to emerge united and Lebanon to be healthy, with a clear 
identity and policy toward Syria and toward the Israeli enemy." 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Against the background of exposing a network of Israeli 
 
 
intelligence agents in Sidon and reports on a connection between 
Mahmoud Rafe Mossad agent with the Socialist Progressive Party, 
President Lahoud calls for enhancing national unity, and 
Nasrallah calls for a national unity government. Lebanese MPs: 
Israeli sabotage foils the logic of those who call for 
dismantling arms of Lebanese resistance" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 6/13) 
 
"Lahoud warns against Israeli conspiracies. Lebanese nationalist 
forces: Jumblatt is one of the basic tools of Israeli 
conspiracies" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/13) 
 
"President Chavez receives an oral message from President Asad 
conveyed by Deputy Foreign Minister Miqdad. Chavez: Our 
friendship is deep; Our points of view are identical. Miqdad: 
Syria supports Venezuela's non-permanent membership on the UN 
Security Council" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/13) 
 
"FM Muallem discusses Israel's evasiveness about peace with James 
Abourezek, former US Senator and Chairman of the American-Arab 
Anti-Discrimination Committee" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/13) 
 
"Defense Minister Turkumani confers with Iranian President and 
discusses military cooperation in Tehran. Nejad: Our coordination 
assures the defeat of enemy schemes" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
6/13) 
 
"The Palestinian Legislative Council defers decision on 
referendum on the prisoners document. Dispute over the cause of 
bloody confrontations in Gaza and Ramallah. Olmert threatens to 
liquidate more Palestinian leaders" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
6/13) 
 
"More human rights violations exposed in Baquba Central Prison. 
Two Iraqi children killed in US shelling near Baquba. Scores of 
Iraqis killed in various assaults and explosions" (Government- 
owned Tishreen 6/13) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"The Option on National Unity" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
An unsigned editorial in government-owned Al-Ba'th reads: "The 
new Israeli massacre in Gaza proves Israel's aggressiveness and 
shows that its goal is to manipulate all opportunities in the 
region.... 
 
"Israel proves day after day that it is an existential enemy of 
the Arab nation and that it is proceeding with the 
implementation of its hostile colonial and expansions schemes in 
the Palestinian territories, flagrantly supported by the US 
Administration, which does not hide this support and its 
hostility toward the Arab nation.... Facing this threat, 
Palestinians must adhere to national unity and rally around the 
resistance option. This is a national necessity for survival in 
the difficult circumstances the just Palestinian cause is 
experiencing.... 
 
"Syria, which has always supported the Palestinian people, is 
today aggrieved by the ongoing splits and differences among 
Palestinian brothers. It calls on and hopes that everyone will 
demonstrate rationality and reason and give precedence to the 
higher national interest at this decisive juncture in the 
history of the Palestinian cause." 
 
----------------------------- 
 
"A Pressing Palestinian Need" 
 
----------------------------- 
 
 
Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, commented (6/13): "The killing of Palestinian 
civilians on the Gaza beach is part of Tel Aviv's war crimes and 
crimes against humanity.... Israel, in its crimes against the 
Palestinian people, outperforms Nazism and Fascism.... 
 
"The US Administration was not ashamed to label a war crime, of 
an undoubtedly racist and hostile nature, as an act of self- 
defense. The Palestinian people, Arabs, and the international 
community should not expect any other position from this 
administration as long as its blind bias toward Israel results 
in political blindness and makes it difficult to differentiate 
between its positions and Israel's positions toward the issues 
of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the developments in the region. 
 
"The pressing national mission of all Palestinian forces is to 
strengthen national unity on the basis of resisting occupation 
by all available means to protect the Palestinian people from 
the crimes of the occupation and force it to leave Palestinian 
land as it was forced to leave south Lebanon and the Gaza Strip 
in defeat, thanks to the resolve of the resistance and its 
determination to achieve liberation." 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
"Al-Zarqawi and the Game of Occupation" 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Ziyad al-Munajjid, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (6/13): "The intelligence services linked to the 
occupation forces in Iraq had exaggerated Al-Zarqawi's image in 
order to carry out terrorist acts against Iraqis and blame Al- 
Zarqawi and the Iraqi resistance for it, while all indications 
are that the Iraqi resistance differed with Al-Zarqawi over the 
management of the conflict with the occupation." 
 
"With the death of Al-Zarqawi, the occupation forces will lose a 
figure they used to blame for all their crimes against the Iraqi 
people.... This is why the occupation is expected to exaggerate 
the image of another 'terrorist' to maintain its presence in 
Iraq...." 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
"Guantanamo, a Mark of Disgrace" 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
Shawkat Abu-Fakhr, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
wrote (6/13) "Regardless whether the three Guantanamo inmates 
committed suicide or died under torture, which is more likely in 
light of previous reports by Amnesty International and other 
humanitarian and nongovernmental organizations, the US 
Administration bears the legal and human responsibility and 
should, consequently, bear all the consequences and rush to 
close down this detention center after compensating the 
detainees, who were arrested in an arbitrary manner and held 
without charges or trial.... 
 
"Any talk by this administration about human rights and 
democracy is unacceptable because it disastrously commits the 
worst human rights violations in Guantanamo, the secret prisons, 
and the detention centers, as well as notorious massacres like 
those it perpetrated in Abu Ghurayb, Hadithah, and other 
places...." 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"Between Crime and Punishment" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Charles Kamilah, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (6/13): "What is happening in Guantanamo is a small-scale 
 
 
copy of the crimes that have been taking place in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.... 
 
"This is not the age of US credibility, values, freedom, and 
democracy that President Bush has bragged about.... President 
Bush expressed concern over the suicide of the three inmates in 
Guantanamo not because he cares about people's life in this Nazi 
prison, but because he fears the impact on his ever-declining 
popularity...." 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
"Under the Diplomacy of Pressure " 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Sa'dallah Barakat, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
wrote (6/13): "Amid intensified diplomatic efforts to solve the 
crisis of Iranian nukes, hope is pinned on the IAEA meeting in 
Vienna and on Iran's response to the EU proposals.... 
 
"President Bush stated that Tehran has weeks, not months, or 
else the Security Council will act.... 
 
"This threat shows Washington's arrogance.... It is an 
acknowledgement that Washington controls the UN Security 
Council. It also shows that Washington seeks to torpedo the 
diplomatic activity for which Iran left the door open. 
 
"The US president is ignoring the positions of Russia and 
China.... Observers can only interpret President Bush's threat 
as a provocation for Iran on the one hand and as disdain for the 
six-way moves on the other...." 
 
Seche