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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0095/01 0291418
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291418Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2880
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6536
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4316
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2924
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7487
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1540
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4881
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1095
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7219

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000095 
 
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/Yemen, Syria/Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories 
(1/29) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Jan. 29 reported President Asad's 
meeting in Yemen on Jan. 28 with Yemeni Prime Minister, Abdul-Qader 
Bajmal.  Talks focused on regional and international developments 
and meetings of the Syrian-Yemeni Higher Committee. 
 
On the issue of Iraq, papers reported Foreign Minister Mouallem's 
meeting with Ashraf Qadi, UN Special Envoy on Iraq, on Jan. 28. 
Headlines featured a press statement by Qadi following the meeting, 
confirming Syria's interest in Iraq's stability and security.  Qadi 
pointed out that his visit to Syria is a part of his tour to the 
neighboring countries of Iraq aiming at mobilizing efforts to 
achieve stability in Iraq on political, security, and economic 
levels.  Earlier, Mr. Mouallem and Qadi reviewed developments in the 
Iraqi arena and the role that could be played by the UN in Iraq 
within the framework of the relevant UN Security Council 
resolutions.  Mr. Mouallem emphasized Syria's keenness to cooperate 
with the UN to make the current political process in Iraq a success 
and to help the Iraqis overcome the ordeal they are passing through. 
 He underlined the significance of holding a comprehensive 
conference for national reconciliation in Iraq. 
 
As for Lebanon, papers featured a speech broadcast by al-Manar 
satellite TV channel on Jan. 28 by Hizbollah SecGen Nasrallah, 
confirming that "the Lebanese opposition will not surrender or leave 
the conspirators to destroy Lebanon or undermine its civil peace, 
and will not be dragged into using weapons inside the country."  The 
Hezbollah chief called for formation of an investigative committee 
to look into the events which occurred on the campus of Beirut Arab 
University on Jan. 25 and bring those who were responsible to 
justice. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad reviews regional and international developments, and 
meetings of the Syrian-Yemeni Higher Committee, with Yemeni Prime 
Minister Bajmal.    The Syrian-Yemeni Higher Committee wraps up 
activities by signing 13 agreements and memos of understanding" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 1/29) 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem receives Ambassador of Japan and UN Envoy 
on Iraq.  Mouallem calls for holding a conference for Iraqi 
reconciliation and ending foreign occupation of Iraq" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 1/29) 
 
"Violent clashes in Najaf.   A US helicopter is shot down in Iraq. 
Whole crew and three US soldiers were killed" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 1/29) 
 
"Federation of Arab Trade Union condemns assaults against Syrian 
workers in Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 1/29) 
 
"Nasrallah, SecGen of Hizbollah:  Sit-ins will continue.  The 
opposition will not allow conspirators to demolish Lebanon.  Some 
leaders in the governing team endeavor to plan sedition" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 1/29) 
 
"Over 58 percent of Americans want President Bush to quit 
immediately" (Government-owned Tisheen, 1/29) 
 
"The situation in Nablus deteriorates.  Hanieh calls for withdrawing 
gunmen.  Islamic Jihad expects a cool-down" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 1/29) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
----------------------- 
 
"Political Abnormality" 
 
----------------------- 
 
Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (1/29):  "Since the American-Israeli plan for the region has 
failed to achieve its objectives through wars and political and 
 
economic pressure, it is now trying to achieve its objectives 
through the creation of domestic sedition.... 
 
"Internal sedition will only harm Arab peoples in Lebanon and 
Palestine....  We know that the situation in Lebanon is extremely 
bizarre, in that the government itself is creating trouble and chaos 
in search of domestic strife.  It is possible to explain this 
bizarre situation in Lebanon, especially if we read the records of 
the government leaders:  They are warlords who retired involuntarily 
at some stage and are now back to the game at which they are 
skilled.  In Palestine, however, the situation causes much dismay, 
as we see Palestinian guns pointed in the wrong direction.  The 
biggest offense to the Palestinian struggle is to see a drop of 
Palestinian blood shed by a Palestinian.... 
 
"Palestinians must demonstrate wisdom and stop harming 
themselves.... Although the heavy smoke in the region makes it 
difficult to see the rays of optimism, we are sure that failure will 
be the fate of the sedition plan....  There is no alternative to 
dialogue and agreement." 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
"Intra-Palestinian Fight Assassinates Dialogue" 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
Ahmad Suwwan, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(1/29):  "The intra-Palestinian clashes push the entire Palestinian 
cause into a dark tunnel....  This will bring disaster for the 
Palestinian people if the fighting does not stop and the factions do 
not return to a serious and thorough dialogue to reach a 
comprehensive agreement on national bases ensuring the achievement 
of a Palestinian national unity and the formation of a national 
unity government.... 
 
"Palestinian factions were close to an agreement before the clashes 
erupted.... A certain group obviously seeks to create domestic 
strife and prevent Palestinians from reaching an agreement.... 
 
"We add nothing new and reveal no secret if we say that the 
Palestinian people know this group well.  They experienced its 
malicious attempts many times in the past, when it violated 
Palestinian blood to serve its interests, privileges, and trade in 
Palestinian blood...." 
 
---------------- 
 
"Peace in Words" 
 
---------------- 
 
Ahmad Dawwa, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(1/29):  "Those who believe that Israel seeks a peace that 
ultimately ends the Arab-Israel conflict and returns rights to their 
legitimate owners are mistaken.... Israel and the United States are 
agreed on a common vision that cannot in any way lead to a peace 
acceptable by all sides.... Israel and the United States are 
exploiting the issue of peace to serve domestic agendas and win more 
time.... 
 
"Why was the issue of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, on the terms 
that Israeli Foreign Minister Livni proposed in Davos, raised at a 
time when the Palestinian factions were coming closer to an 
agreement on a unity government?  Can Israel be cleared of 
responsibility for the recent bloody incidents in Gaza? 
 
"The achievement of peace needs few words and much action and 
commitment to the known principles of peace.  Most of what is being 
proposed now violates and contradicts this rule.  So the least that 
can be said about the Israeli peace statements is that they are 
sugar-coated words...." 
 
------------------- 
 
"Crisis of a Track" 
 
 
------------------- 
 
Ali Nasrallah, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, said 
(1/29):  "What Lebanon is witnessing today is more than a political 
rift between two camps or a struggle for power.  Rather, it is a 
crisis of direction and a deep difference between those who want 
Lebanon to be a follower of the Unit 
ed States and Israel and those 
who believe in resisting occupation and hegemonic plans and who are 
firmly convinced that the United States and Israel are the exclusive 
source of all evils in the world.... 
 
"The governing team in Lebanon long hid behind the slogans of 
freedom, sovereignty, and independence.  But its practices on the 
ground exposed it and showed its true nature as a team relinquishing 
those slogans and values, placing Lebanon under trusteeship, opening 
the country to violations by Israeli and Western intelligence, and 
turning Lebanon into a base for the implementation of the 
neoconservatives' new or greater Middle East...." 
 
Corbin