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DE RUEHDM #5453/01 3621727
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O 281727Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2715
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6469
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4253
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2858
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7430
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1477
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4812
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1039
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7162

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 005453 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/R/MR:STHIBEAULT AND 
JMCCARTER, VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, AZAIBACK, AND 
AFERNANDEZ, IIP/G/NEA-SA MDAVIDSON 
WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC 
CENTCOM FOR CCPA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY
SUBJECT: Syria/AL, Syria/OIC, Syria/Japan, Syria/Yemen, Iran, 
Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories (12/22-24) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On Dec. 24 Syrian press reported President Asad's Dec 
21 meeting with SecGen of the Arab League Amr Mousa in which Mousa 
briefed Asad on the consultations he conducted on behalf of the AL 
regarding developments on the Lebanese arena.  Headlines featured 
President Asad's support for the efforts of the Arab League and 
everything the Lebanese agree upon because Syria is keen on the 
stability, safety and security of Lebanon. Secretary General of the 
Arab League reiterated the importance of heading towards getting out 
of this problem by the consensus of all Lebanese without denying the 
existence of international effects on the Lebanese situation. FM 
Mouallem also attended this meeting. 
 
Papers also reported Foreign Minister Mouallem's meeting on Dec. 23 
with Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization 
of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which focused on the latest 
regional developments, including dangerous developments in the 
occupied Palestinian territories. Both sides agreed upon the need 
for supporting efforts to form a Palestinian national unity 
government.  They also reviewed the latest developments in reforming 
the OIC. 
 
On Syrian-Japanese relations, papers featured a statement by 
Japanese Ambassador in Damascus Masaki Neoida saying that his 
country was determined to play a role in the Middle East peace 
process.  The Japanese Ambassador said at a reception on the 
occasion of his country's National Day that his mission as an 
ambassador in Syria was to enhance and strengthen the excellent 
relations between the two countries in political, diplomatic, 
economic and other fields. 
 
On Syrian-Yemeni relations, papers reported the visit to Yemen by 
Abudlla Al-Ahmar, Assistant Secretary General of the Baths Arab 
Socialist Party.  In a statement to SABA news agency of Yemen, 
Al-Ahmar said the visit comes within the framework of cooperation 
between the Bath Arab Socialist Party and the General People's 
Congress (GPC) of Yemen and it constitutes a new step contributing 
to the development of cooperative relations between the two parties 
and sisterly countries. 
 
On December 23 government-owned Tishreen cited a statement by Ma'n 
Hamiyah, the media spokesman for the Syrian Social National Party, 
that said the raids on SSNP offices and houses of party members 
conducted by Lebanese security forces in northern Lebanon sought to 
cover up the Israeli Mosad activities in Lebanon and failure of the 
security forces to maintain security.  He stressed that the weapons 
confiscated from houses of SSNP members were used in the resistance 
against the Israeli occupation. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"AL SecGen Mousa from Beirut: The visit to Syria has helped in 
finding a solution.  A sit-in in solidarity with New TV calls for 
the release of the two New TV journalists investigating the Israeli 
conspiracy. Lebanese figures and MPs call for foiling the foreign 
sedition scheme" (Government-owned Tishreen, 1/24) 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem and OIC Secretary General Oglu support 
efforts to form a Palestinian national unity government.  Oglu: 
Syria has effective state in the Islamic Conference" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 12/24) 
 
"Assistant Secretary General of al-Baath Arab Socialist Party 
al-Ahmar takes part in the Conference of al-Baath Party in Yemen. 
Al-Ahmar reviews the latest developments in the region and 
reiterates Syria's support for Arab causes" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 12/24) 
 
"The UN Security Council endorses UNSC resolution 1737 imposing 
sanctions on Iran. Tehran describes the resolution as illegal and in 
violation of the UN Charter" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/24) 
 
"Escalation continues in the Palestinian arena... The Quartet 
extends its help, but through Abbas.  Hamas and Fateh renew 
readiness to hold a new dialogue" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
 
12/24) 
 
"US Secretary of Defense Gates briefs President Bush on the outcome 
of his visit to Iraq.  Deterioration of security still the major 
challenge" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/24) 
 
"Abdullah Al-Ahmar, Assistant Secretary General of the Baath Arab 
Socialist Party, in Sanaa for talks with the General People's 
Congress (GPC) of Yemen" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/23) 
 
"Has the Arab initiative reached a dead end? Extensive condemnation 
of measures imposed by the Lebanese ruling team against the Syrian 
Social National Party. Lebanese former Premier al-Hoss: The problem 
lies in the government's abnormal situation. Former Lebanese 
Minister and MP Franjieh:  The February 14 forces work in accordance 
with a US agenda" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/23) 
 
"A media source from the Syrian Social National Party clarifies to 
Tishreen:  The confiscated arms were used to resist occupation.  The 
aim of raids against the SSNP is to cover up Mosad activities and 
the security forces' failure " (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/23) 
 
"Five US troops killed in attacks and clashes in al-Anbar.  US 
Defense Secretary Gates concludes fact-finding mission in Iraq 
preferring to keep his recommendations for President Bush" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 12/23) 
 
"Bush seeks to deepen sedition inside Palestine. Security chaos 
returns to street.  Palestinian Prime Minister Hanieh responds to 
Palestinian President Abbas:  We are ready for dialogue immediately" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 12/23) 
 
"Organization of 'The Right of Return' commences its work in 
Lebanon: A holy right, no solution without the right of return" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 12/23) 
 
"President Asad to Amr Mousa:  Syria supports the Arab League 
efforts and is concerned about Lebanon's stability and safety.  Arab 
League SecGen:  Syria always supports Lebanese national 
reconciliation and exerts efforts to maintain Palestinian national 
unity" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 12/22) 
 
"United Nations General Assembly calls on Israel not to exploit 
natural resources of the Golan" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 12/22) 
 
"Mashaal of Hamas: There is no alternative for a Palestinian 
national unity government" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 12/22) 
 
"British daily 'The Independent': Blair did not make any 
breakthrough in recent tour of the Middle East" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 12/22) 
 
"Russian News Agency Novosti:  Western media deliberately intended 
to cause harm to Syria due to rejection of US dictates" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 12/22) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------ 
 
"Sinking in Sick Dreams" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(12/23):  "Robert Gates, the new US Secretary of Defense, tells us 
that the American armies are staying 'here' for a long time! 'Here', 
of course, means the Arab region.... 
 
"It is as if the Baker-Hamilton report never existed. It appears 
that the Bush administration does not listen to the sensible 
American voices or respect the views of the American public, which 
gave this administration a zero score in its management of 
international affairs and in its foreign policy, which brought 
disgrace upon the Americans and tragedies and disasters upon the 
world. 
 
 
"Gates' statements coincided with statements by US Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice admitting that violence in Iraq is 
continuing.  They also coincided with the indictment against eight 
American soldiers for involvement in a heinous crime in the Iraqi 
city of Hadithah, in which 24 Iraqi civilians were killed in cold 
blood.... 
"We are linking the political positions of the Bush administration 
toward the region with this violence and these massacres in order to 
remind the warmongers and the proponents of the theories of 
domination, creative instability, preemptive wars, and promotion of 
canned democracy through missiles and warships that these policies 
and positions have failed to realize any declared or undeclared 
American objective, let alone the fact that they are outside history 
and logic, that they disregard the will of nations, and that they 
are rejected by the overwhelming majority of the American people. 
 
"This American insistence on such reckless and irresponsible 
policies shows that neoconservatives will not raise the white flag 
in their failing wars, and that they are putting at stake what they 
do not own:  the reputation of Americans and the lives and 
capabilities of the nations of the world. 
 
"The Bush administration has thrown the Baker-Hamilton report in the 
dust bin and refused to listen to the voice of the American people, 
who punished the Republican Party for the administration's policies 
and failures and withdrew the majority that the party had in 
Congress. 
 
"Today there is unanimity in the region and the world, and even 
inside the United States, that the Bush administration has failed in 
its entire work in the past six years.  Yet this administration 
sticks to the language of threats, force, and saber rattling, from 
Afghanistan to Iraq, to supporting the Israeli terrorism and 
wagering on a Lebanese team that the Lebanese people have rejected. 
 
"We believe time has come for the administration of the 
neoconservatives to wake up from its sick dreams and listen, if only 
for once, to the voice of the nations of the world." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
"Lies on the Holocaust, Who Dares to Expose Them?" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
Salim Abbud, a columnist in government-owned Al-Thawra wrote 
(12/22):  "Tehran's conference on the holocaust was a serious and 
courageous scientific attempt to remove the ambiguity and reveal the 
truth about the holocaust at a time the West considers discussion of 
this issue a taboo.... 
 
"The West, which always talks about justice and human rights, allows 
people to discuss, research, and investigate any fact in this world 
but prohibits, incriminates, and punishes anyone who thinks of 
investigating the truth of the Holocaust.... We regret that most of 
the Arab media and researchers do not discuss the truth of the 
Holocaust and how Arabs are footing its bill (Palestine) and ignore 
the current holocaust that the Zionists are daily practicing against 
Palestinians with American and European support and blessing.... 
 
"Those who condemned Tehran conference: If the holocaust was a fact, 
why shouldn't the Tehran conference be seen as a creditable attempt 
to reveal it, generalize it worldwide, and stop the skepticism over 
it? 
 
"The European and American positions toward the Holocaust, show the 
extent to which Zionist thought has infiltrated the minds of the 
political, cultural, and judicial leaders and driven them to adopt 
such a position toward the holocaust lie...." 
 
ROEBUCK