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FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1870
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6310
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4126
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2709
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7312
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1324
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4692
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0908
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7043

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 004779 
 
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, Rice's 
Visit, Lebanon (10/04-05) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The Syrian press on October 4 and 5 focused on the 
October 1973 War between Arabs and Israel.  All government-owned 
papers earmarked full pages to mark the 33rd anniversary of the 
war.  They described it as "the first Arab War in the History of 
the conflict (between Arabs And Israel)."  The Syrian press 
recalled that the war was "a painful smack to Israeli arrogance 
and aggressiveness."  It focused on resistance as "an option to 
protect Arab rights." 
 
Papers continued to cover the Secretary of State's visit to the 
region.  They focused on the meeting in Cairo with eight Foreign 
Ministers, where a Rice advisor was quoted as saying that "the US 
Administration hopes for a coalition that includes the US, the 
European allies, Israel and the moderate Arab states in order to 
foil the alliance of rebels in the region." 
 
Papers also covered a statement by Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary 
General that the February 14 Movement has started to implement a 
plan made by the US Embassy in Beirut, to focus on the disaster 
in Lebanon rather than the victory which was achieved there. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
October War is the first Arab War in the history of conflict 
between Arabs and Israel (Government-owned Tishreen, 10/05/2006) 
 
Our people and nation mark anniversary of liberating October War 
(Government-owned al Baath, 10/05/2006) 
 
Liberating October:  When will Arabs learn how to benefit from 
their victories (Government-owned Tishreen, 10/05/2006) 
 
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister:  Syria is a difficult figure in the 
peace equation (Government-owned Tishreen, 10/05/2006) 
 
Hezbollah:  February 14 Movement works in accordance with the 
plan of the US Embassy (Government-owned Tishreen, 10/04/2006) 
 
Our Armed Forces Celebrate the 33rd Anniversary of liberating 
October War (Government-owned Tishreen, 10/04) 
 
Before the "Moderates," Rice attacks Syria (Government-owned al- 
Thawra, 10/04/2006) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
"Rice's Colonial Dreams" 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
Issam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(10/04): 
 
"Miss Rice can dream of a new middle east that is free of 
resistance, of...'terrorists' or of countries which the US 
classifies as enemies." 
 
"However, she cannot turn her dreams into reality.  Not because 
this is impossible, but because she is unable to delude Arab 
public opinion any longer." 
 
"The envoy of the Neo-Conservatives... wants to build walls among 
the sons and daughters of one identity...in order to rally one 
team against the other, on the one hand, and to create discord 
among Arabs, and even among the people in each country if 
possible, on the other hand." 
 
"Isn't this the theory of the Old Colonialism? ... Isn't is 
shameful for this country [the US] to claim that it wants 
freedom, independence and sovereignty of the peoples, while it is 
occupying two countries, threatening other independent countries 
 
with ... armed power, and interfering in the internal affairs of 
other countries, depending on small groups that have sold their 
countries for a handful of dollars. 
 
--------------------- 
 
"A short-sighted American View" 
--------------------- 
 
An editorial in government owned al Baath read (10/04): 
 
"The region is in need of the continuous and active presence of 
the US, but it is not the presence which Secretary Rice brings to 
the region, with its statements preaching sometimes of a new 
middle east, and other times of dividing the region into axes and 
camps, which do not exist outside the imagination of the US 
policy theorists and some of their petty disciples in the region. 
 
"The American role is needed.  There is no other country that can 
play this role.  This is a fact that is well-known by the peoples 
of this region.  However, this cannot be taken for granted, as if 
it were an inescapable destiny, especially under the auspices of 
the current US Administration, when it draws a distorted image of 
the region and sides entirely with Israeli aggression, 
sacrificing Arab rights and their just causes." 
 
Peace cannot be achieved without dialogue among the concerned 
parties:  with Syria..., the elected Palestinian government, and 
even with Iran...." 
 
Corbin