VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0085/01 0251342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (508)
O 251342Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2860
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6526
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4306
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2916
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7481
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1530
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4871
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1089
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7213

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000085 
 
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/Qatar, Syria/Brazil, Golan, Lebanon, Iraq, 
Palestinian Territories (1/25) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Jan. 25 reported that President Asad 
returned to Damascus after a short visit to Qatar on Jan. 24, where 
he reviewed with Qatari Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani 
developments in the region, especially in Iraq and Palestine.  The 
leaders also reviewed bilateral economic relations, including 
investment projects that Qatar will have in Syria. 
 
On Syrian-Brazilian relations, papers reported that Renan Calheiros, 
President of the Federal Senate of Brazil, hailed Syria's principled 
positions and its efforts to avert tension and conflicts in the 
region more particularly in Iraq.  Meeting Minister of Information 
Mohsen Bilal on Jan. 23, Senator Calheiros emphasized his country's 
backing for a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.  He 
warned against the danger of the language of threats used by the US 
Administration against a number of Arab countries.  The sides also 
discussed their bilateral relation and means of boosting 
cooperation. 
 
On Lebanon, papers reported that Hizbollah SecGen Hasan Nasrallah 
announced on Jan. 24 that "the Lebanese opposition is able to 
overthrow the government tomorrow, but what has prevented it from 
doing so is its commitment to civil peace."  "If the opposition 
wanted to topple the government, it would have done so on the first 
day of its protests," Nasrallah added in a speech broadcast by 
Lebanese al-Manar TV.  He challenged the Lebanese government to hold 
a general strike as successful as the opposition's on Jan. 23. 
 
Papers also reported that the Committee of Prisoners and Detainees, 
of the group, the Syrian Golan Rally, condemned brutal Israeli 
practices against Arab prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.  In 
a statement issued Jan. 24, the Committee called on international 
legal and humanitarian organizations, particularly those affiliated 
with the United Nations, to follow up the situation of Syrian 
prisoners in Israeli prisons and exert efforts to ease the suffering 
resulting from premeditated Israeli negligence.  The statement urged 
such organizations to put pressure on Israeli authorities to abide 
by international conventions. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad and Emir Hamad of Qatar discuss the situation in 
Iraq and Palestine and bilateral relations" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 1/25) 
 
"The Committee of Prisoners and Detainees in Israeli jails calls on 
the international community to exert pressure on Israel to ease 
their suffering" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 1/25) 
 
"Meeting with Information Minister Bilal, Chairman of the Brazilian 
Senate:  Syria's efforts aim at saving the region from more tension" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 1/25) 
 
"AL SecGen Amr Mousa warns against dangerous US threats and calls 
for resuming talks on all tracks.  Mousa:  Dialogue with Syria and 
Iran is the key to solution" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 1/25) 
 
"Hizbollah SecGen Nasrallah:  The Lebanese opposition is capable of 
toppling the government" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 1/25) 
 
"Israeli occupation plans to expand settlements in the West Bank and 
to bring a European contingent to run Gaza.  A Palestinian martyred 
in Gaza.  Wide-scale attacks in the West Bank" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 1/25) 
 
"A crisis in Israel:  Israeli President Katsav refuses to resign.  A 
mutiny within Kadima against Olmert" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
1/25) 
 
"Eight US soldiers killed in Iraq.  A draft resolution in the 
Congress:  Sending more troops to Iraq is incompatible with US 
national interests" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 1/25) 
 
"President Bush's State of the Union Address reflects the US 
impasse" (Government-owned Tishreen, 1/25) 
 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
"Lebanon's Uprising and US Dispute" 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
Khalid al-Ashhab, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawrah, 
commented (1/25):  "If US Democrats are serious in their opposition 
to President Bush's policy and in their efforts to correct the 
mistakes of the US Administration, they need to break the link 
between the Bush administration and its extensions around the world, 
such as Fouad al-Saniora's government and the 14 February team in 
Lebanon.... 
 
"What is happening in Lebanon today should serve as an additional 
factor helping the Democratic majority curb the US Administration's 
influence and political extensions across the world.  By supporting 
the uprising of the Lebanese and their renewed revolution against 
al-Saniora's government and the 14 February forces, the American 
Democratic majority can efficiently help stop the involvement of 
Bush's administration in a grave mistake it has made and is still 
making in Lebanon." 
 
----------------- 
 
"The Syrian Gate" 
 
----------------- 
 
An unsigned editorial in government-owned Al-Ba'th, stated (1/25): 
"The recent visits to Syria by the Iraqi, Palestinian, and Pakistani 
presidents and by other foreign officials prove Syria's pivotal role 
and the importance of listening to Syria's views on all pressing 
issues, especially on Iraq, Lebanon, and the occupied Palestinian 
territories.... 
 
"In the past two years there were efforts by superpowers to harm 
Syria's role and isolate it, and curb its Arab and regional 
influence.... 
 
"Not only did those policies fail, they also backfired, with Syria 
becoming the destination for American congressmen and European 
foreign ministers despite American and French pressure on them and 
advice to them not to visit Damascus.... 
 
"Syria is eager to preserve Iraq's unity and independence, 
consolidate Palestinian national unity, and support Lebanon's unity 
and Arabism free from the American-French plans that seek to move 
that country from its resisting Arab position to the 
American-Zionist position....  These positions are at the heart of 
Syrian policy.  This policy, which has disturbed and agitated 
others, has helped Damascus maintain its forward regional position 
on all files.  No settlement for any of the region's issues can be 
reached without passing through the Syrian gate." 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"Six Decades of Criminal Work" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Isam Dari, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishrin, wrote (1/25): 
"Successive US administrations, particularly the current 
administration, are to blame for the chaos, destruction, and tension 
worldwide.... 
 
"The United States is responsible for the destruction in 
Afghanistan, the massacres in former Yugoslavia, the burning of 
Iraq, the slaughters against the Palestinian people, and what is 
happening today in Lebanon.... 
 
"Yes, six decades of established crimes against the peoples of the 
earth.  Let anyone claiming otherwise sue us in any court of his 
 
choice.  International justice will certainly rule for us and for 
the peoples of the earth.  But we stick to our right to bring the 
criminals, both the dead and the ones still alive, to the war crimes 
court, if not today then tomorrow." 
 
Corbin