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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #4271/01 2421140
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O 301140Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1298
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6240
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4076
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2635
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7265
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1266
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4647
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0862
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6999

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 004271 
 
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/Venezuela, Syria/Italy, 
Syria/Germany, Syria/Denmark, Kofi Annan's Middle East Tour 
(8/30) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers today led with the visit to Syria by 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.  Banner headlines reported the 
warm welcome prepared for President Chavez and featured the press 
statements made by President Asad and President Chavez at 
Damascus airport during which Chavez noted that both Venezuela 
and Syria share the same political vision saying "we are two 
countries and two peoples resisting and confronting the United 
States' imperialistic aggression."  "We are here in Damascus to 
call for peace," Chavez told Syrian state television.  Chavez 
said that during his visit to Syria officials of both governments 
will sign a document opposing Washington's aggression" in the 
Middle East. 
 
Papers also reported that President Asad received a telephone 
call from Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The conversation 
dealt with the latest developments in Lebanon in light of the 
start of the deployment of international forces in south Lebanon. 
The talks dealt also with the situation in the region and issues 
of mutual concerns and the circulating ideas regarding peace in 
the Middle East.  Prime Minister Prodi explained Italy's decision 
to take part in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 
(UNIFIL) and stressed the importance of concrete gestures to 
restart dialogue and cement stability in the region." 
 
Papers also reported FM Walid Mouallem's meeting with Christian 
Hop, personal representative of the Danish Foreign Minister to 
the Middle East, who called for preserving cease-fire in 
Lebanon, achieving a full Israeli withdrawal, and ending Israeli 
siege on Lebanon.  Talks focused on the situation in the region 
especially, in Lebanon, in the light of UN 1701 resolution. 
Papers also reported that Foreign Minister Mouallem received a 
phone call German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier, which touched upon 
the situation in Lebanon particularly after the UN UNSC 
resolution 1701.  Viewpoints were identical regarding gearing 
efforts to establish a just and comprehensive peace in the 
Middle East and Syria's role to realize stability in the region. 
 
Papers also reported that Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem talked 
on the phone with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter 
Steinmeier.  Discussion focused on the situation in Lebanon in 
light of UNSC Resolution 1701 and the need to maintain the cease- 
fire.  The two sides agreed to intensify efforts to bring about 
a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.  The two 
sides agreed also on the importance of continuing dialogue and 
contacts in light of Syria's constructive role in achieve 
stability of the region. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad receives President Hugo Chavez. President Asad: 
Chavez's visit is historical; we are looking forward to see its 
outcome.  President Chavez: We have the same political vision; we 
resist the imperialist aggression together.  President Asad talks 
on the phone with Italian PM Prodi and receives Egyptian 
delegation" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 8/30) 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem reviews developments in the region 
with Special Envoy of Danish Foreign Minister, and discusses with 
German Foreign Minister the situation in Lebanon and necessity of 
intensifying efforts to establish a just and comprehensive peace" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 8/30) 
 
"UN SecGen Annan departs Lebanon with no guarantees on lifting 
siege the Israeli siege on Lebanon. Annan considers the Israeli 
siege on Lebanon as humiliation" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
8/30) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
----------------------- 
 
"A Last Minute Chance" 
 
 
----------------------- 
 
Ali Qasim, a columnist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(8/30):  "UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's visit to the region 
provides a real opportunity for the international community to 
regain the initiative that it accepted to leave to American 
whims and to the extremist team in President Bush's 
administration, which dedicated the organization and the entire 
international community to serving Israel's ambitions and 
justifying its aggressiveness and occupation.... 
 
"The United Nations is facing a real credibility problem, 
especially among the peoples of the region, which felt, beyond 
any doubt, a clear imbalance in its principles and a declared 
double-standard approach toward the resolutions it adopts, 
especially when it comes to Israel.... Annan's tour comes after 
a series of events and developments that deeply affected the 
position toward the international organization, which appeared 
unable to play its role.... 
 
"UN Secretary General will sense, as the peoples of the region 
sensed, the extent of the threat that Israel poses through its 
aggressiveness and barbarism.... The UN impotence will only 
heighten the tension in the region. 
 
-------------------------- 
 
"Reactivating the UN Role" 
 
-------------------------- 
 
Adnan Ali, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(8/30):  "Kofi Annan's Middle East tour will mark the beginning 
of a serious and effective presence for the international 
organization within the effort to establish peace and security 
in this troubled region, which long suffered, and is still 
suffering, from the negative and unfair interventions by the 
superpowers that have no respect for UN principles and 
Charter.... 
 
"Annan, as a person, enjoys much integrity and understands well 
the issues of the region, but the superpowers that control the 
fates of nations, gave the United Nations a little chance to 
play an active, effective, and balanced role to resolve pending 
issues in the world, especially in this ever-volatile region.... 
 
"UN SecGen must adopt clear positions.... He must distinguish 
between the culprit and the victim....  We assume that Annan 
realizes that Israel is the source of all evils in the region 
and that its insistence to occupy Arab lands and its continuous 
attempts to subjugate the region and terrorize its peoples by 
force, are behind tensions and crises...." 
 
-------------------------- 
 
"Syria Cannot Be Isolated" 
 
-------------------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (8/30):  "Every foreign visitor to Damascus underlines 
Syria's vital role in the region and its peace.... 
 
"If we exclude the official American position, which served 
Israel's interests and not America's real interests, and which, 
therefore, caused anger and resentment among the peoples of the 
region and the world, the American, European, and international 
delegations that visited Damascus agreed with Syria that there 
is a major flaw in the American policy, one that prevents the 
United States from playing its supposed role as a superpower 
responsible for protecting the world's security, stability, and 
peace.... 
 
"Dialogue and exchange of views is very important to achieve a 
just and comprehensive peace in the region.... Syria cannot be 
 
 
isolated, and its constructive and pivotal role is understood 
and appreciated by broad international circles, and this will 
definitely produce positive results in the future." 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
"They Are Afraid of the Volume of Victory" 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
Dr. Turki Saqr, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (8/30):  "Some people are still inflating the damage that 
Israel inflicted on Lebanon as a way of saying that Hizbollah 
did not win the battle with Israel.... Marginalizing Hizbollah's 
victory and heroic actions only serves Israel and its effort to 
impose capitulation on Arabs.... 
 
"These skeptics are disturbed not by the magnitude of the 
destruction, as they claim, but by the magnitude of the 
victory.... Their views can never affect the greatness of the 
victory that was achieved.... These people must have the courage 
to admit that much of the destruction that was inflicted on 
Lebanon was a result of their governments' negligence and 
inability to make the natural decision; namely, standing in the 
face of the aggression and the occupation form the beginning.... 
 
"Israel and the United States would not have continued with the 
aggression for 34 days without the suspicious silence of those 
Arabs and their blame for Hizbollah...." 
 
Corbin