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O 191536Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2478
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6386
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4183
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INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7100

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 005318 
 
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: Asad/Annan, Syria/Qatar, 
Syria/PLO, Baker/Mouallem, European Peace Initiative, OIC Meeting 
(11/17-19) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers reported that President Asad received a 
telephone call from UN SecGen Kofi Annan during which they reviewed 
political developments in Lebanon and Iraq.  Papers also reported 
President Asad's meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad 
Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani, who conveyed a letter from the Emir of 
Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.  Talks dealt with 
development of the intra-Palestinian dialogue and the necessity of 
enhancing Palestinian national unity.  President Asad also received 
a telephone call from Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian 
Authority, focusing on Palestinian developments and the 
intra-Palestinian dialogue. 
 
Papers also featured a New York Times report saying that former US 
Secretary of State James Baker met with Syrian Foreign Minister 
 
SIPDIS 
Walid Mouallem in Washington in September to discuss cooperation 
with the United States. 
 
Papers also reported that Information Minister Mohsen Bilal met in 
Madrid with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who 
expressed hope that the peace initiative by France, Spain and Italy 
will succeed, indicating that he will contact the foreign ministers 
of the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and Germany to 
acquaint them with the mechanisms and ideas that form the basis of 
the initiative, which is scheduled to be proposed on Dec. 14 to the 
European Union with the aim of reviving the peace process in the 
region. 
 
Papers also reported a meeting by the Organization of Islamic 
Conference (OIC) Executive Committee, which decided to break the 
siege on Palestinians and to act on the international level to end 
the siege.  In their meeting on Nov. 18 in Jeddah, the OIC foreign 
ministers called for actual commitment to the decisions of the OIC 
summit with regard to boycott of Israeli companies.  In their final 
statement, the ministers condemned Israel for the massacre in Bait 
Hanoun and for the ongoing slaughter of the Palestinian people.  The 
statement denounced the U.S. veto that blocked a UN Security Council 
resolution on the massacre.  Earlier, Syria's representative at the 
meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad, read a statement 
stressing that the message which should be sent by the meeting to 
Israel and those who support its aggression and hinder international 
legitimacy, is that such Israeli crimes will be punished 
economically and politically.  He underlined that the Israeli 
occupation of Arab territories in Palestine, the Golan, and Shebaa 
Farms is the main reason for the current violence in the Middle 
East. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad receives a telephone call from UN SecGen Kofi Annan 
on latest developments in Lebanon and Iraq" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 11/19) 
 
"Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos:  Syria is the most 
important factor in the peace process in the Middle East" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/19) 
 
"The Organization of Islamic Conference Executive Committee decides 
to break the siege imposed on Palestinians and to act on an 
international level to end the siege.  Deputy Foreign Minister 
Faisal Miqdad:  Israel and those who support its aggression hinder 
international legitimacy" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/19) 
 
"Former US Secretary of State James Baker discusses the situation in 
Iraq with senior Syrian Officials" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
11/19) 
"President Asad receives a phone call from Mahmoud Abbas and a 
letter from Qatar's Emir and reviews with Sheikh Hamad developments 
in the Palestinian dialogue and coordination between Syria and 
Qatar" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/18) 
"An official source denies accusation that Syria is providing Somali 
militia with arms" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/17) 
"After failure to stop the missiles of the resistance, Israel adopts 
harsher measures.  Haniya:  Israel rejected the European peace 
 
 
initiative because Israel doesn't seek peace" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 11/8) 
"Chairman of the Belgian Senate:  Syria assumes an important and 
main role in the Middle East.  Spanish Minister of State for Foreign 
Affairs Bernardino Leon briefs Minister Bilal on Spanish moves and 
the European peace initiative" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/8) 
"Al-Dari considers the memorandum of arrest illegal.  The 
government:  It is an investigation, not an arrest.  Bush:  No 
pull-out from Iraq;  we benefited from Vietnam lessons" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 11/18) 
"New scandal for February 14th team in Lebanon:  Israel participated 
in drafting the resolution on formation of international tribunal 
for Al-Hariri assassination" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/17) 
 
"Israel rejects the European peace initiative.  Prodi calls on the 
US administration to engage in dialogue with Syria" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/17) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
---------------------- 
"The Enemies of Peace" 
---------------------- 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, commented 
(11/18):  "Without any hesitation, Israel rejected the new European 
peace initiative and considered it nonexistent. 
"Israeli rejection, accompanied by American tepidity toward the 
initiative, came so simply, before the content of the initiative was 
seen and before Olmert's government received a copy. 
"Three big European countries -- Spain, France, and Italy -- have 
announced an initiative that is based initially on ending violence 
and then reviving the peace process through an international 
conference that might take a form different from that of the Madrid 
conference 15 years ago.  But the enemies of peace are trying to nip 
this initiative in the bud, just as they tried to thwart the Madrid 
conference before, during, and after its convocation.... 
"It is no exaggeration to say that peace causes alarm and panic 
among Israelis, who will be unable to accept the idea of a just and 
comprehensive peace so long as they build their policies and 
positions on Talmudic myths that basically talk about a pure Jewish 
state extending from the Nile to the Euphrates and about God's 
chosen people, who must be the masters, while all other peoples on 
earth are tools and slaves implementing the wishes of this people, 
which God chose -- God forbid -- to rule, repress, kill, commit 
vice, practice terrorism, and violate women and children, as written 
in their Talmud.... 
"If Israel rejects even the initiative of its only strategic ally in 
the world, should anyone be astonished that it rejects the European 
initiative before learning its content? 
"What is strange, however, is the claim by the Tel Aviv rulers that 
they are peace advocates and that they are searching for a partner. 
They say that it takes two to tango, as if they were at a party. 
The unquestionable fact is that they are enemies of peace, advocates 
of war and destruction, and undisputed leaders of terrorism. 
"The ball is no longer in the Israeli court, as no one pins hopes on 
the Israelis.  The ball is in the European and American court.  If 
the EU and the sponsors of the new initiative are serious in their 
endeavors to achieve peace and are eager to end the wars and 
terrorism from which the region is suffering, they know who is 
standing in the way of peace and who is rejecting the peace plans. 
And they have the tools that enable them to defend their initiative 
and a just and comprehensive peace. 
------------------------ 
"Bolton Must Be Removed" 
------------------------ 
Samir al-Shibani, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(11/18):  "Many observers believe Rumsfeld's fall will mark the 
beginning of the disintegration of neoconservatives, who fill the 
world with chaos, wars, and tensions and violate all international 
laws and conventions to establish their hostile empire even at the 
cost of the death of millions of peoples and the destruction of many 
countries, and even continents. 
"In light of John Bolton's hostile attitude toward the United 
Nations, which represents the whole world, Bolton's removal from his 
post becomes more than necessary both for the American voter and for 
every human on earth because his tenure threatens the civilized 
 
 
human experience with a destructive setback...." 
------------------------ 
 
"Is He still Optimistic?" 
 
------------------------- 
Dr. Sa'id Musallam, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (11/17):  "US General John Abizaid said that he is still 
optimistic that Americans are able to bring peace to Iraq.... 
 
"Abizaid asserted that the US Administration has no intention of 
setting a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, despite Baker's 
recommendations and Blair's advice....  This shows that calls for 
dialogue with Iraq's neighbors to achieve stability in Iraq are 
intended to help provide a safe environment for the stay of US 
troops, reduce the painful blows they are taking, and minimize their 
human losses.... 
 
"Iraq's neighbors work for a solution in Iraq outside the scenario 
of the continuation of the occupation...." 
 
Corbin