VZCZCXRO9601
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHDM #3835 2151433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031433Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0777
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0163
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 003835 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU, AMMAN FOR KANESHIRO, 
ALGIERS FOR CHEYNE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM LE SY
SUBJECT: TFLE01:  SYRIA DAILY SITREP 16 FOR THURSDAY, 
AUGUST 3, 2006 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Visiting Spanish FM Moratinos was scheduled 
to meet Syrian President Asad and VP Shara'a on August 3 in 
Damascus.  Moratinos arrived in Damascus August 2 and met 
with Syrian FM Mu'allim, discussing the need for an immediate 
cease-fire, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency 
(SANA).  The German FM telephoned his Syrian counterpart 
August 2 to discuss the previous day's meeting of EU foreign 
ministers in Brussels and the need for an immediate 
cease-fire, SANA reported.  There were 90 walk-in requests 
for American Citizen Services (ACS) on August 2, up from 85 
inquiries the previous day.  End Summary. 
 
POLITICAL 
 
¶2.  (U) The following are political updates: 
 
-- Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos met August 2 in Damascus 
with Syrian FM Walid Mu'allim, with talks focusing on the 
Israel-Hizballah conflict and international efforts for 
long-term regional stability, according to the official 
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).  Moratinos was quoted as 
saying that his talks with Mu'allim focused on the need for 
an immediate cease-fire.  Moratinos was set to meet August 3 
with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad and Syrian VP Farouk 
al-Shara'a.  EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana announced 
earlier this week that Moratinos would travel to Damascus to 
hold talks on behalf of the 25-nation EU bloc. 
 
-- German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier telephoned Syrian FM 
Mu'allim August 2 to discuss the outcome of the EU foreign 
ministers August 1 meeting in Brussels and the need for an 
immediate cease-fire, according to SANA. 
 
-- Syria's Deputy FM Faisal Mikdad met with Malaysia's FM, 
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) SYG, and 
Lebanon's FM on  August 2 in Malaysia, prior to an OIC 
executive committee meeting August 3, according to SANA. 
Talks dealt with the Israel-Hizballah conflict, the 
conference's agenda, and the proposed political declaration. 
 
CONSULAR 
 
¶3.  (U) There were 90 walk-in ACS requests on August 2, up 
from 85 inquiries the previous day. 
 
ECONOMIC 
 
¶4.  (U) A UN aid convoy set to depart Syria for Lebanon on 
August 2 was delayed for "logistical problems," according to 
an Agence France Presse (AFP) report.  Three convoys of 20 
trucks have already crossed from Syria into Lebanon, 
presumably at Syria's Al-Arida border crossing, carrying 135 
tons of aid, including tents, mattresses, blankets, cooking 
materials, medicines and sanitary products, AFP reported.  As 
far as Post knows, the Masna-Jdeideh crossing on the main 
Damascus-Beirut highway remains closed. 
CORBIN