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DE RUEHDM #4733/01 2751234
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O 021234Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1817
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6308
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4124
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2705
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7310
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1322
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4690
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0906
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7041

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 004733 
 
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: Post-war Maneuvering, Assad 
interview, Lebanon,  (09/29-30 - 10/01-02) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The Syrian press on October 1 and 2 focused on the 
interview President Assad gave to Spanish daily El Pais.  The 
papers covered Assad's call to start peace negotiations from the 
point they stopped in 2000.  He said that peace could be 
achieved in 6 months if negotiations resume from that starting 
point.  Assad said that Hezbollah is defending a national cause 
and not only a religious one.  On the international court for 
the Hariri case, he said that the results of the investigation 
will determine if such a court is needed.  Assad said that the 
American example of democracy has harmed democracy itself.  He 
added that a European role is essential and the US is not an 
honest broker of the Peace Process. 
 
Papers also covered the speech given by Syria's ambassador to 
the UN Bashar Jaafari at the UNSC, regarding the Brammertz 
Report.  Jaafari said that Syria's cooperation with the 
International Commission is further proof that Syria is keen to 
uncover Hariri's murderers.  He called for double checking of 
all evidence and for trial of those who gave false testimony to 
the Commission and those who collected such witnesses to mislead 
public opinion. 
Papers also covered statements of Lebanese President Emile 
Lahoud regarding the importance of having a national government 
in Lebanon.  Lahoud described all of those who call for 
disarming the Lebanese Resistance as "traitors." 
 
The press also covered the visit that US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice is planning to the region starting Monday. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
 
In an interview with El Pais, Assad:  Trusting Syria is an 
unavoidable option.... Monitoring the border is just a waste of 
time because it avoids the Big Solution (Government-owned al 
Baath, October 2, 2006) 
 
Peace will need no more than 6 months if it starts where we 
stopped (Government-owned Tishreen, October 2, 2006) 
Asking about the UNSC's ignoring of Israeli crimes against 
humanity, our UN Ambassador:  Brammertz report included positive 
points.  Syria's cooperation with the International Commission 
underlines its keenness to discover those behind the Hariri 
assassination (government owned Tishreen 09/30/2006) 
 
Israel isolates the town of Anjar under the eyes of UNIFIL, and 
Ben Eliezer threatens to kill Nasrallah;  Lahoud:  we shall not 
accept a French Mandate.  He who seeks to disarm the Resistance 
is a traitor (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) 
 
Washington doubles financial aid to the Israeli military 
establishment (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) 
 
A tough campaign against the Republicans and tough elections 
await them (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) 
 
Iraqi President Jalal Talibani:  Syria has always been good to 
us, and I am looking forward to visiting it (government owned 
Tishreen 10/01/2006) 
General Hasan Turkmani receives an UNDOF delegation (government 
owned al Thawra 09/29/2006) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
"Merchants of War Do Not Make Peace" 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
 
Issam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen wrote 
(9/30/2006) 
 
"US Secretary of State Miss Condoleezza Rice is coming to the 
region on Monday, charged by President George Bush to revive the 
peace process. 
 
"This is a nice, attractive title for the visit.  But the truth 
makes us feel pessimistic rather than optimistic, since we have 
become accustomed to a crystal clear fact that says:  'Whenever 
there is a catastrophe, search for America.' 
 
"We don't believe that Miss Rice and the Bush Administration are 
really interested in a just and comprehensive peace.  Otherwise, 
how can we explain the fact that the US has given up its support 
for the MEPP for six years." 
 
"Rice is coming to a region that has been burned by US policy and 
devastated by US arms.  And behold: here is the Bush 
Administration, that is only good at the language of war and 
chaos, talking now about peace and stability.  But is there 
anybody who will believe it?" 
 
"We do hope that the US Administration is honest, when talking 
about peace, but all indications show the opposite, since US 
policies have not changed.... We do not think that the merchants 
of war are capable of making peace.  That is why we only expect 
from Rice's visit more escalation against all forces that refuse 
US dictates.... Will Rice and its Administration disappoint us 
this time?" 
--------------------- 
 
"What does Rice have in her Bag?" 
--------------------- 
 
Mohamad Kheir al Jamali, an op-ed writer in government-owned al- 
Thawra, wrote (10/02) 
 
"Rice's trip to the region does not aim to deal with the region's 
problems or to revive the Peace Process.  It aims only to rescue 
US policy and extricate it from the difficult calamity that it 
finds itself in after its Middle Eastern project has failed in 
Iraq and Lebanon and is about to fail in Sudan.  It also aims to 
abort the historic victory which the resistance has achieved 
against Israel." 
 
"The US tactic to achieve this goal is divide Arabs into two 
camps:  moderates and extremists, hoping that this will deepen 
the division in the Arab world, which might help the US and 
Israel to revive the Middle Eastern Project and to overcome its 
defeat." 
 
Corbin