VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #3121/01 1771316
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (508)
O 261316Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9974
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6056
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3914
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2444
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7112
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1102
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4488
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0711
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6850

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 03121 
 
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/Kazakhstan, 
Syria/Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Iraq (6/26) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers today reported President Asad's 
meeting with Yar Mohammed Aritsayiev, Kazakh Minister of 
Information and Culture, which focused on bilateral relations of 
cooperation, and prospects of boosting them in the economic, 
cultural, and social spheres. 
Papers also reported President Asad's meeting with members of the 
General Secretariat and the Pan-Arab Follow Up and Coordination 
Committees for Arab Revolutionary Dialogue. President Asad 
explained current political developments and the nature of 
conspiracies that have been threatening the Arab nation's 
existence and identity. He clarified that Syria's policy and 
stances are based on its belief in the Arab nation's unified 
destiny and joint interests. Asad underlined the importance of 
Arab political powers' meetings on all levels, their dialogue, 
and their involvement with the nation's issues. "These meetings 
are very important to deepen pan-Arab consciousness, coordinate 
Arab efforts and to monitor events and developments in order to 
adopt subjective and decisive stances to confront endeavors of 
disinformation inflicted upon the nation," the President said. He 
emphasized the importance of strengthening pan-Arab sentiment in 
the life of the Arab masses as a common factor among all sections 
of Arab society. 
Papers also reported official talks among VP Shara, FM al- 
Mouallem and Abu Bakr Tango, Nigerian State Minister for Foreign 
Affairs. Talks dealt with bilateral relations between the two 
friendly countries and means of bolstering them to meet the two 
countries' interests. 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad receives Kazakh Minister of Information and 
Culture, and members of the General Secretariat of the Arab 
Democratic Dialogue. The final statement of the Arab Democratic 
forum reflects interaction with the Arab Nation's issues, 
consolidates pan-Arab sentiment in the life of the masses, 
stresses solidarity with Syria, generalizes the culture of 
resistance, supports reform and modernization, and rejects 
foreign dictates" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/26) 
 
"Syria and Nigeria hold official talks. VP Shara and FM Mouallem 
discuss with Nigerian FM Tango relations of cooperation between 
the two countries" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/26) 
 
"Palestinian resistance carries out a unique operation; Seven 
Israel soldiers killed, wounded and missing" (Government-owned Al- 
Thawra, 6/26) 
 
"On the eve of resuming the Lebanese National Dialogue, new 
issues widen differences" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/26) 
"Terrorists kill four Russian diplomats in Iraq" (Government- 
owned Tishreen, 6/26) 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
"Reactivating Arab Solidarity and the Importance of Dialogue" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
An unsigned editorial in government-owned Al-Ba'th, reads 
(6/26): "The time is ripe for dynamic common Arab action in 
light of Washington's search for a speedy and urgent exit from 
Iraq, the state of confusion in which Olmert's government is 
blundering, and the diminishing effect of the vicious Western 
onslaught on Syria and the collapse of many links in the 
conspiracy that has targeted Syria's steadfastness and 
impregnability.... 
 
"Asad's visit to Cairo and his telephone contact with King 
Abdallah of Jordan last week were part of the effort to create 
such Arab dynamism and save Arab performance from deadlock and 
paralysis.... Egypt and Syria have largely agreed on a joint 
vision regarding the situations in Iraq and Palestine, and this 
agreement reflects on many procedural steps that will unfold in 
 
the future, contrary to what some media circles have tried to 
promote...." 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
"Peace Cannot Be Achieved by Wishes" 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
Ahmad Dawwa, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, said 
(6/26): "We regret that some Arabs have not yet realized that 
Israel cannot be pushed toward peace through wishes, 
conferences, and the making of demands.... This method, in fact, 
makes Israel more stubborn, arrogant, and aggressive and gives 
it more time to cook its plans against the West Bank over a low 
fire.... 
 
"The problem of Arabs is that they do not learn from the lessons 
of the past; they just remain silent when they find out, later, 
that their calculations were wrong. Some of them, evading 
responsibility, would not hesitate to say: We couldn't have done 
better.... 
 
"But what keeps hope alive for the restoration of usurped rights 
to their owners is the position of those Arabs who adhered to 
their rights, knew Israel's nature, refused to give in to the 
conditions of the International Quartet, and preferred martyrdom 
and confronting aggression to other options that Israel has 
exploited and from which Arabs have lost much more than they 
have gained." 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
"Compensation for Martyred Infants" 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned 
Tishreen, wrote (6/26): "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, 
through his appalling massacres against Palestinians, seeks to 
outperform former PM Sharon in killing, destruction, and 
rejection of all elements of peace.... 
 
"Olmert rejects peace, besieges citizens of Gaza until death, 
kills Palestinian children, and says there is no Palestinian 
partner to negotiate peace with.... Yet he finds people to 
believe that he has good peaceful intentions, and he finds among 
the Arabs people who say: Let us give him a chance.... 
 
"Why give him this chance if he himself does not want it, and if 
his American allies see the killing of children as an act of 
self-defense...? 
 
"Why hold negotiations in the first place if Israel has already 
determined what it wants and stresses that it will not abandon 
any of it and that the Palestinian Authority has no choice but 
to accept this or else? 
 
"Olmert behaves as if he is the master of life and death in the 
region. He does not see the killing of Palestinian children as a 
crime. This is why the Palestinian resistance factions 
collectively told him: There is no truce from now on, and there 
will be no concessions no matter what the sacrifices. This 
means, among other things, giving these martyred children some 
of their rights and giving their families the moral sustenance 
to help them continue to live and compensate them for the loss 
of their children. Otherwise, who will compensate the martyred 
children...?" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
"Israeli Endeavors to Play in The Palestinian Arena" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
Muhammad al-Khadir, an editorialist in government-owned Al- 
Ba'th, wrote (6/26): "Israeli leaks about a plan to establish a 
temporary Palestinian state based on the second stage of the 
Roadmap reveal deep Israeli concern and suspicions that the 
Palestinians might reach a political agreement ending their 
differences and unifying their ranks. 
 
"Israel is doing everything it can to undermine Palestinian 
national accord and push the Palestinians toward splits and 
infighting. But Palestinians are aware of the dangers around 
them, which is now pushing them to contain their differences and 
consolidate the dialogue based on the principle that all guns 
must be directed toward the occupier only and that fighting 
among the Palestinians is a red line...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
"The Mossad Group, A Real Danger for Lebanon" 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
Hasan Hardan, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(6/26): "The disclosure of the Israeli spying and assassination 
network in Lebanon reminds the Lebanese people, in all their 
groups, that Israel is the real threat to Lebanon and the only 
main enemy that seeks day and night to sabotage Lebanon's 
security and stability and sow the seeds of sedition among its 
sons. 
 
"The discovery of the network also shows the falsehood of the 
campaign that was launched to implicate Syria and its allies in 
the assassinations and weakens the logic that claims the 
resistance no longer has a role to play and a job to 
perform...." 
 
--------------------------- 
 
"A Characterized War Crime" 
 
--------------------------- 
 
Ali Nasrallah, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (6/26): "The massacre that American soldiers perpetrated 
in the Iraqi city of Hadithah, which was uncovered by chance, 
was one of dozens and perhaps hundreds of massacres against 
innocent children, women, and elderly in Iraq. 
 
"The US Administration and its senior officers and military 
commanders in Iraq tried and are still trying to cover up this 
and other similar massacres.... The US Administration continues 
to pressure the investigations in an attempt to evade 
responsibility and blame the whole thing on a small number of 
soldiers. 
 
"The Abu Ghraib scandal, the Hadithah massacre, the Al-Ishaqi 
crime, and the famous incident in which American elements 
disguised in civilian Iraqi clothes were caught while preparing 
to plant bombs in Baghdad are examples of a systematic policy 
that the American occupation practices on the ground, making use 
of its criminal experience in various parts of the region. Such 
scandals, massacres, and established war crimes bring back to 
mind the American criminal practices in Vietnam.... 
 
"Leaders of the US Administration are directly responsible for 
the war crimes in Iraq; human duty dictates that they be brought 
before the competent international criminal court so that they 
can be questioned and so that justice can be served.... 
 
"The US massacres in Iraq also show that the Bush administration 
has failed to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis and to 
bring stability to Iraq.... The continuation of this situation 
will make the United States pay heavy prices unless it soon 
arrives at a conviction that leads it to decide to end Iraq's 
occupation and set an urgent timetable for withdrawal from that 
country." 
 
Seche