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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #3136/01 1781126
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (508)
O 271126Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9992
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6060
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3918
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2448
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7116
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1106
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4492
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0715
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6854

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 03136 
 
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: President Asad's interview with 
al-Hayat, Palestinian Territories, Iraq (6/27) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: All Syrian papers published President Asad's 
comprehensive interview with London-based al-Hayat about 
developments in the region. On impressions regarding retreat of 
the Arab role in the region, in the face of the growing Iranian 
role, President Asad said: "We have to define whether the Arab 
role still exists or not," I don't think we have seen an 
important Arab role except in form" he added. 
 
Asad said that, in most of the Syrian political discourse, he has 
"called for dialogue, especially with America," but "so far this 
Administration does not look capable" of conducting such a 
dialogue.  He denied any rupture with France and said it has to 
do only with President Jacque Chirac. 
Asad denied any substantial conflict with Jordan. "There are 
views in politics that can differ," he said.  He said Syria is 
ready to "give any possible assistance" to facilitate withdrawing 
the "occupation forces from Iraq."  Hamas, he said, must be given 
a chance to conduct an internal dialogue. 
He confirmed that Damascus' doors "remain open" for Premier Fouad 
Siniora, MP Saad Hariri and MP Michel Aoun. "Syria has welcomed 
Siniora's visit twice but he didn't come," he said, adding that 
Syria has no personal problems with Hariri, and Damascus' doors 
are open for Aoun. "We used to have troubled relations with Aoun 
... but now he doesn't attempt to attack Syria, and on some 
points he defends it," Asad said.  He added that Syria had 
proposed establishing diplomatic ties with Lebanon a long time 
ago, but "we refuse to bow to pressure." 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad says in a comprehensive interview to London 
-based al-Hayat: Syria is ready to provide assistance for the 
departure of occupation forces from Iraq. What we care about is 
Palestinian unity. Takfiri groups are directly linked with events 
in Iraq. The reform process goes ahead with great strides; the 
economic situation is the priority. Dialogue with US must be 
direct" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/27) 
 
"Lebanese calls to protect the resistance and reshuffle the 
cabinet. Lahoud: There are schemes to divide Lebanon and impose 
settlement of Palestinian refugees" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
6/27) 
"Israeli PM Olmert orders his forces to get ready to invade the 
Gaza Strip. Palestinians:     Releasing Israel soldier is 
conditional on releasing Palestinian prisoners" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 6/27) 
"Olmert threatens to assassinate Khaled Mashaal" (Government- 
owned Tishreen, 6/27) 
 
"Vice President Al-Hashimi: The US project in Iraq has failed. 
The occupation seeks a way of salvation. The Arab League calls on 
Iraqis to give a chance to the national reconciliation 
initiative" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/27) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
-------------------- 
 
"A Visa to Damascus" 
 
-------------------- 
 
Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, chief editor of government-owned Al- 
Thawra, wrote (6/27): "A visit to Damascus requires a visa of 
trust and credibility, which some people still do not have...." 
 
"Those who lost the key to Damascus and went to Paris and 
Washington to search for it will find nothing but further loss. 
The keys to Damascus have always been in the hands of Syrians. 
And those who think the Beirut-Damascus road passes through New 
York have certainly not seen the maps of geography, politics, 
and logic.... 
 
"Those who traveled to capitals of the world in search of 
 
anything that would hurt Damascus returned with failure and 
defeat.... The visit to Damascus is not a lifeline or an exit 
from the state of bankruptcy of the current that deviated from 
Lebanon's interests because of whims and personal interests.... 
At 
tempts are still being made to harm Syria.... The Syrian 
people do not believe that those who competed in their efforts 
to harm Syria are trustworthy.... 
 
"Syrian positions are more than clear. The doors of Damascus are 
still open, but with a visa of trust and credibility. Perhaps 
the success of the dialogue conference will be the appropriate 
point for opening the doors to Damascus...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
"That Is Why We Bet on the Palestinian Dialogue" 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
As'ad Abbud, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (6/27): "We believe that the attack on an Israeli military 
post south of the Gaza Strip on 25 June is indeed a 
distinguished operation that will help Palestinians who are 
holding a dialogue to overcome the political trap. For none of 
the parties to this dialogue accept that the resistance can be 
scorned or Palestinian blood be taken lightly. We believe this 
is true in Fatah's case just as it is true in the case of 
HAMAS.... 
 
"Naturally, I do not impose the resistance option on anyone, and 
this is a philosophy that the Palestinian brothers greatly 
helped to teach us. But I assume that all those who are taking 
part in the dialogue see clearly that the independent 
Palestinian state cannot become a reality, even on a single inch 
of Palestine's soil, except through resistance.  There is a 
pressing need for the Palestinian dialogue to succeed.... The 
resistance is the response and the supporter and justifier of 
the dialogue. It is primarily a political action, despite its 
armed military nature.... 
 
"The existence and continuation of resistance and its 
effectiveness in preventing the stability of the occupation is 
the way to end the occupation...." 
 
-------------------- 
 
"National Alignment" 
 
-------------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (6/27): "The intra-Palestinian dialogue must succeed, 
in light of the daily Israeli terrorism and the absence of 
international justice with respect to the Palestinian-Israeli 
conflict.... Whether the Israeli defense minister implements his 
threat to retaliate for the Gaza attack or not, the open 
aggression did not need to use the Palestinian response as an 
excuse. Through their successive governments, the leaders of the 
occupation have had no objective other than killing and 
displacing the largest possible number of Palestinians to 
complete their hostile settlement plan.... 
 
"The delicate situation Palestinians are facing dictates that 
the means of confrontation be reinforced and that national 
cohesion be achieved. It also dictates a unified Arab position 
to support the Palestinians on all levels...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
"The Hadithah Massacre and International Responsibility" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
Muhammad Khair al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (6/27): "The Hadithah massacre showed the real 
face of American occupation as an occupation not different in 
 
its despotism and ugliness from any other bloody occupation the 
nations of the earth have known." 
 
"Iraqis, Arabs, and international legal organizations, and 
indeed the entire world community, must take international legal 
action and set up an international judicial commission to 
investigate the massacre and all the crimes of the occupation 
that are being revealed.... 
 
"All those involved, military and politicians, should be brought 
before an international tribunal...." 
 
Seche