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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #5059/01 2951407
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O 221407Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2167
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6330
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4137
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2723
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7324
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1341
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4704
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0919
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7055

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 005059 
 
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/UAE, Syria/Slovakia, 
Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories (10/20-22) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Syrian papers reported that President Asad received a 
phone call from President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa 
bin Zayed Al Nahyan in which both leaders talked about the situation 
in the region and bilateral relations between Syria and the UAE. 
 
Papers also reported Dr. Muhsin Bilal's interview with Iranian 
al-Alam satellite channel on Jerusalem international day, in which 
Minis 
ter Bilal confirmed that in the last meeting held in Cairo 
among the six Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan in the presence of US 
Secretary of State Rice underlined refusal to isolate Syria and 
 
SIPDIS 
supported Syria's right to reclaim occupied Golan. The minister 
confirmed the importance of the Palestinian cause for Arabs and 
Muslims, considering that the first priority is the establishment of 
a Palestinian state with Jerusalem. 
Papers also featured a book published in Paris by French Journalist 
Richard Labeviere entitled "The Grand About-face: Baghdad and 
Beirut" attributing to him the claim that UN Security Council 
Resolution No. 1559 was a fruit of a change in US-French relations 
that had previously experienced extreme strains due to French 
opposition of the invasion of Iraq.  The book claimed that US and 
French intelligence were behind the planning for Abdul-Halim 
Khaddam's interview with al-Arabiya, in which he accused Syria of 
assassinating Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri. According to the papers, 
Labeviere maintains that this proves that Khaddam is a tool serving 
the interest of US and French intelligence. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
"President Asad receives a phone call from President of the United 
Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  Both leaders 
focused on the situation in the region" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
10/22) 
"Syrian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Hassan Turkmani 
discusses military cooperation between the Syrian and Solovak armies 
with Slovak Defense Minister Frantisek Kasick?" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 10/22) 
"French journalist reveals hidden secrets of UNSC resolution 1559... 
The book says that Resolution 1559 was formulated at Al-Hariri's 
residence in Sardinia... Americans were surprised by the French 
change... Resolution 1559 was the result of a change in 
French-American relations... The US and French secret services were 
behind Khaddam's interview with al-Arabiya TV... The Mehlis report 
was politicized and Larsen is not innocent... Chirac expected Israel 
to terminate Hizbollah within five days. Putting pressure on Syria 
was Chirac's bribe to satisfy Bush" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
10/20) 
"A French book unveils secrets of UNSC Resolution 1559:  Chirac has 
taken Lebanon as a basis for rapprochement with Washington and 
sacrificed 40 years of French diplomacy for the Hariri family... US 
and French intelligence arranged for Abdul-Halim Khaddam's interview 
with al-Arabiya TV" (Government-owned Tishreen, 10/21 
"Lahoud reiterates rejection of monitoring Lebanese airspace. 
Former Lebanese PM Al-Huss:  The outcome of the war poses an 
eloquent victory for the resistance and the Arabs" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 10/20) 
"Israeli occupation creates a new military post in Sheba Farms" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 10/22) 
"Information minister: The resistance option has achieved a victory 
in Palestine and Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 10/20) 
"Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero:  The US war on Iraq is illegal and 
immoral" (Government-owned Al-THawra, 10/22) 
"Three US Marines killed in al-Anbar. US President George Bush 
discusses US strategy in Iraq with his military commanders" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 10/22) 
"Bush insists on making more mistakes in Iraq and ignores the death 
of US soldiers and thousands of Iraqi people" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 10/22) 
"The current impasse in Iraq pursues Bush and Blair.  Bush admits 
reality and insists on doing wrong while Blair fails to convince his 
parliament to keep forces in Iraq" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
10/20) 
"A calming agreement between Hamas and Fateh doesn't dismiss 
disagreements.  Israeli occupation wounds seven praying in al-Aqsa 
Mosque.  France supports the separation wall" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 10/21) 
 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
---------------- 
 
"The Big Change" 
 
---------------- 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(10/21):  "In his new book 'Le Grand Retournement,' French 
journalist and writer Richard Labeviere reveals attempts to distort 
the truth about Syria in its relations with Lebanon and the effort 
to implicate Syria in crimes that serve neither Syria nor Lebanon 
nor the Arab nation.  The book, which tells the story of Resolution 
1559 and explains how French President Jacques Chirac wanted to 
improve his relations with the United States at the expense of Syria 
and its influence in Lebanon, is an additional piece of evidence 
showing Syria's credibility and proving what it has been saying for 
months.... 
"The book discloses some aspects of the cheap conspiracy that was 
prepared in the dark to help Western colonialism return to the 
region. The book proves that the truth in the assassination of 
former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri is still the first 
victim of everything that happened and is still happening, and that 
the long-term objective was an attempt to subjugate Syria and 
eliminate the resistance's approach in the region.... 
"The book unveils that a French-American deal was concluded in which 
the French government sacrificed and abandoned a 40-year-old De 
Gaullist policy, just to please Bush, the neoconservatives, and 
Israel.... 
"It is natural for the March 14 forces in Lebanon and their media to 
ignore Labeviere's book, as these forces wagered on implicating 
Syria in the Al-Hariri assassination and on ending the Lebanese 
resistance within one week of the Israeli war on Lebanon...." 
------------------------------------ 
"Bush between Denial and Confession" 
------------------------------------ 
Hanan Hamad, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(10/21):  "A tangible change could be felt in President Bush's 
remark that the Iraq war reminds him of the Vietnam War.... But we 
must not be overoptimistic about the possibility of a comprehensive 
revision of the US policy in Iraq.... 
"President Bush still insists that the American forces will not 
withdraw from Iraq under any circumstances before the end of his 
term.... Bush also turns deaf ears to the advice of the James 
Baker-led Congressional commission, which calls for a totally 
different course to prevent the tragic situation in Iraq from 
turning into an all-out civil war, especially since this commission, 
which enjoys wide powers, is studying Washington's options in Iraq 
and will come up with a series of recommendations that might 
constitute a new blow to President Bush's policy in this country. 
The proposed options include gradual withdrawal from Iraq and the 
opening of diplomatic channels with Syria and Iran.  Each of the two 
options is a clear retreat from Bush's insistence on keeping the 
troops and continuing the isolation of Syria and Iran as part of the 
'extremists' camp, against which he is trying to form a front 
grouping those whom he called moderate and constructive." 
-------------------------- 
"Is There a Bigger Crime?" 
-------------------------- 
Muhammad Ali Buzah a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, said 
(10/20):  "The Washington-Tel Aviv alliance, in its effort to 
implement its New Middle East plan, turned the Iraqi, Palestinian, 
and Lebanese arenas into experimental fields for its military 
arsenal and advanced military industry, and into grounds for 
intimidation, blackmail, and open killing.... 
"Where is the world that claims to be civilized vis-`-vis what is 
happening?  For how long will it continue to watch the crime of the 
age silently and indifferently, with the mentality of a witness for 
hire who has become used and addicted to seeing convoys of death and 
the scenes of fires and destruction...? 
"This situation is a major blot of shame on humanity's record.... 
The world appears to share with the Americans and Israelis their 
extremism and blind racist hatred toward Arabs." The war criminals 
must pay the price for their crimes sooner or later, and they must 
 
understand that Arab blood and Arab land are not free for anyone to 
violate." 
--------------------- 
"After the US Action" 
--------------------- 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (10/30):  "Certainly the current US Administration brought 
disastrous results in the region as shown particularly in Iraq and 
the Palestinian territories.... 
"The region is boiling with tension... The Arab public, from the 
Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf, blames the Bush Administration 
for the existing situation and sees Israel not only as the enemy 
that occupies the land, but also as the direct reason behind all the 
tragedies that afflict the Arabs.... 
"And to complete the cycle of tension in the region, the Bush 
Administration is said to have pressured the Olmert government into 
refusing to resume peace negotiations on the Syrian track and 
continuing the siege on the Palestinians.  This is in addition to 
the game of dividing the Arabs into 'moderates' and 'extremists'.... 
 Where does the Bush administration want to lead the region and its 
peoples?  What new excuses will it offer Americans, who, in turn, 
abhor this administration, as public opinion polls stress?" 
Corbin