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O 290749Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2524
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6400
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4198
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2793
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RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7113

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 005343 
 
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/Cyprus, Med-Euro 
Ministerial, Syria/Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, France (11/28) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Nov. 28 reported President Asad's 
meeting on Monday with Dimitris Hristofyas, Speaker of the Cypriot 
Parliament, focusing on the situation in the region and bilateral 
cooperation. 
 
Papers also reported Syrian FM Mouallem's participation in the 
Med-Euro Ministerial Conference being held in Tambera, Finland. 
Headlines cited a statement by FM Mouallem confirming that the 
desired progress of the Barcelona Process requires the realization 
of a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East in accordance 
with UN Security Council resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference 
and the land-for-peace principle.  Mr. al-Mouallem's remarks came 
during consultations held between Ministers of the Arab Group and 
the European Troika Ministers on the margins of the conference.  The 
Ministers reviewed progress since last year's summit, marking the 
10th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.  On Nov. 27, on the 
margins of the conference, Mr. al-Mouallem also met EU High 
Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier 
Solana, with whom he discussed the situation in the Middle East. 
Both sides agreed on the necessity of activating the European role 
in order to realize a just and comprehensive peace in the region. 
 
On Turkish-Syrian relations, papers reported that Turkish Deputy 
Premier, State Minister Abdullatif Sener, will arrive in Damascus on 
Nov. 28 on an official visit, together with a technical and economic 
delegation.  During the visit, Mr. Sener will hold talks with Syrian 
officials on cooperation between Syria and Turkey and development of 
ties in the economic, investment and development fields. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad reviews the situation in the region and 
parliamentary relations with Cypriot Parliament Speaker Dimitris 
Hristofyas.  Hristofyas:  The meeting was open and frank" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/28) 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem discusses the importance of activating 
the European role in Middle East peace process with Javier Solana, 
EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, at 
the Med-Euro ministerial conference being held in Tambera, Finland. 
Mouallem reviews with his German, Danish, Dutch, and Macedonian 
counterparts the situation in the region" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 11/28) 
 
"General Secretariat of the International Arab Trade Unions 
Federation condemns the aggression against Syrian workers in 
Lebanon.  The Union calls upon the General Trade Union in Lebanon to 
shoulder responsibility and defend Syrian workers in Lebanese 
courts. 
 
"TQ Lebanese army arrests scores of Jaja's forces during military 
training in Kisrawan.  Berri:  The governmenQhas violated the 
National Accord.  Aoun:  The governing mafia has demolished and 
wasted the homeland with misleading campaigns" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 11/28)" 
 
"France and Israel spy on Lebanon through the UNIFIL forces" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/28) 
 
"Information Minister Dr. Mohsen Bilal renews condemnation of the 
assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Jumayyil. 
Bilal:  Charges against Syria are in implementation of foreign 
orders" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/28) 
 
"The Baker team recommends direct talks with Syria and Iran" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/28) 
 
"Crash of an F-16 jetfighter near Baquba.  A French intelligence 
agent is killed in Basra.  Democrats and Republicans:  A gradual 
withdrawal from Iraq and pressure on the al-Maliki government" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/28) 
 
"Abdullatif Sener, Turkish Deputy Premier and State Minister, 
arrives in Damascus on an official visit to Syria along with a 
 
technical and economic delegation" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
11/28) 
 
"The UN Human Rights Council calls on Israel to withdraw from the 
occupied Golan and to halt settlement activities in the Golan and 
the occupied territories" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/28) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------- 
 
"Intersection of Interests" 
 
--------------------------- 
 
Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, a columnist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (11/28):  "The assassination of Lebanese Industry 
Minister Pierre al-Jumayyil must be seen as a political crime 
masterminded by several parties that have an interest in keeping 
Lebanon within the cycle of tension and preventing the national 
opposition from correcting the country's domestic situation, after 
it became clear to the Lebanese people that the February 14 team is 
deeply involved in the American-Israeli-Western scheme that seeks to 
turn Lebanon into a new base for the implementation of the new or 
broad Middle East plan after its collapse in Iraq as a result of the 
rejection and resistance of the Iraqi people.... 
 
"The parties that stand to gain from the crime and its timing are 
Israel, the governing team in Lebanon, and the foreign powers that 
pushed Israel to launch its aggression against Lebanon but found 
that the aggression resulted in a bitter defeat for them and for 
Israel. 
 
"The Lebanese people realize very well that the party that 
assassinated Pierre al-Jumayyil was the same party that assassinated 
Al-Hariri and committed all the subsequent assassinations.  It is 
the party that wanted through all these crimes and through the 
Israeli aggression to isolate Lebanon from its nationalist role and 
Arab affiliation and turn it into a den for conspiracies against 
Syria and the Arab causes...." 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
"In the Repercussions of the Crisis" 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (11/28):  "The governing coalition in Lebanon is using 
al-Jumayyil's assassination to obstruct the popular activities of 
the nationalist opposition and to maintain its monopoly on power, 
instead of searching for a genuine national political partnership, 
shouldering the responsibility of construction and social and 
economic development, and confronting foreign interference in 
domestic Lebanese affairs.... 
 
"The government team persists in aggravating mistakes and increasing 
tension in Lebanon.  This situation entails real dangers, especially 
since there are indications that what is happening is linked to 
foreign interference, particularly by the US and the Mossad...." 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
"The Godfather Bolton and his Advocates" 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
Dr. Khalaf al-Jarrad, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (11/28):  "John Bolton is well-known for his fanatical 
support for Israel, his desperate defense of Israel's expansionist 
policies and constant aggression and flagrant terrorism against the 
Palestinian and Lebanese people, and his hatred of Arabs and 
Muslims.... 
 
"There is coordination between the US representative to the United 
Nations and the February 14 group in Lebanon.... This coordination 
 
is evidenced in the miraculous coincidences between assassinations 
in Lebanon and Security Council meetings and prefabricated 
resolutions.... 
 
"Bolton manifested serious hysteria when the national Lebanese 
resistance heroically confronted the all-out Zionist aggression 
against Lebanon, which was fully coordinated with the United States. 
 He lost his mind when the valiant resistance achieved a great 
victory.  He began pressing his followers in Lebanon daily to act to 
disarm and uproot the resistance in implementation of a strategy 
that the Zionist army failed to implement through its direct 
aggression.  But the mission was too big for them, so they turned to 
the story of the international tribunal, relying on the full support 
of their friend and ideal in racism, hatred, and fanaticism -- John 
Bolton.... 
 
"When the tribunal faced a problem at the Security Council, 'hidden 
hands' solved it through the assassination of Pierre al-Jumayyil. 
However, the Lebanese people are aware of this game and are able to 
smash all the conspiracies and schemes that seek to ignite civil 
strife and separate Lebanon from its Arab family...." 
 
----------------------------- 
 
"To be a President of France" 
 
----------------------------- 
 
As'ad Abbud, a columnist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(11/28):  "It is regrettable not to see in President Jacques Chirac 
a De Gaullist leader who can contribute to world balance, a leader 
who rises above trivialities and rejects forging personal alliances 
to serve private or limited interests.... 
 
"The whole world is now talking about dialogue with Syria.... What 
prevents France from holding such a dialogue...? 
 
"I personally find it inappropriate for Chirac to become a party in 
Lebanon, befriending this and antagonizing that.  He could have 
played a role to bring Lebanon out of its impasse, which is far more 
important than devoting efforts to stop the transmission of Al-Manar 
Television, accusing people based on their identities, passing 
judgments before investigations end, and so on.... 
 
"As for us, President Chirac, we Syrians who often loved you hope 
that you will abandon personal positions.  On what basis do you open 
Paris to a person who, for almost every Syrian, is the symbol of 
corruption -- Abd-al-Halim Khaddam?  Why does Paris cover the lies 
of a witness like [Muhammad Zuhayr] al-Siddiq?  And why does France 
remain silent about the truth in the killing of Pierre 
al-Jumayyil...?" 
 
Corbin