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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0137/01 0431413
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121413Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2952
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6570
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4341
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2955
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7511
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1569
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4907
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1120
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7244

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000137 
 
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/Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, 
Iraq, Putin (2/12) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Feb. 12 reported VP Shara's meeting 
on Feb. 11 with Ali Qansoh, Chairman of the Syrian National 
Socialist Party in Lebanon, during which Shara confirmed that Syria 
supports all that the Lebanese agree upon to achieve civil 
stability, peace and national unity.  They reviewed the latest 
developments in the Arab arena, particularly in Lebanon, and the 
obstacles to Lebanese national reconciliation.  Papers quoted Qansoh 
as saying that "finding a buffer zone in South Lebanon aims to 
swallow Lebanese territory."  He asserted that this is a dangerous 
issue, opposed  by all Lebanese on the political and popular levels 
and in all international fora.  Qansoh thanked Syria for embracing 
hundreds of thousands of Lebanese during the war last July and for 
dealing with them on an equal footing with Syrians. 
 
Papers also reported that FM Mouallem received two phone calls, from 
Norwegian FM Jonas Gahr Stre and Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos, 
welcoming the accord which was concluded in Mecca between Hamas and 
Fatah on the formation of a Palestinian national unity government. 
The Norwegian and Spanish officials hailed Syrian and Arab efforts 
to make the accord a success. 
 
Papers also reported FM Mouallem's talks on Feb. 11 with Arab League 
Secretary General Amr Mousa.  Well-informed diplomatic sources said 
 
SIPDIS 
that the talks focused on the situation in the Arab region, 
especially in Lebanon, and efforts to find a way out of the current 
Lebanese impasse.  Mouallem and Mousa also discussed the latest 
developments in Palestine and Iraq. 
 
Israeli excavation around the Al-Aqsa Mosque remained a major issue 
in Syrian papers.  All papers featured messages by Syrian Grand 
Mufti Sheikh Badr al-Din Hassoun on Feb. 11 to UN Secretary General 
Ban Ki-Moon, Pope Benedict XVI and to international and Islamic 
organizations, calling for an immediate cessation of Israeli 
assaults against al-Aqsa.  "The Israeli excavation in the 
surroundings of al-Aqsa target the civilizational and structural 
edifices in Jerusalem, aiming at destroying the city's features, 
dismissing the original owners of the Arab land, and killing 
children to change this city from a peaceful land to a land of 
oppression," Mufti Hassoun said.  Papers also featured a statement 
by the Pope of Alexandria, Shinoda III, strongly condemning the 
excavation as Israeli aggression and a crime against the whole Arab 
nation. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Vice-President Shara welcomes Russia's new Ambassador, and reviews 
obstacles facing the Lebanese accord with Ali Qansoh, Chairman of 
the Syrian National Socialist Party in Lebanon" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 2/12) 
 
"Assistant Regional Secretary of the Baath Party Bkhitan:  Attempts 
to isolate Syria have failed.... No peace with the existence of 
occupation, and liberating occupied Golan is Syria's top priority" 
(Government-owned 2/12) 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem receives two phone calls, from Norwegian 
and Spanish Foreign Ministers, appreciating Syria's efforts in 
making the Mecca Accord between Hamas and Fatah a success" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/12) 
 
"Israel accelerates excavations in the neighborhood of the al-Aqsa 
Mosque.  Fatah considers the Mecca Agreement as a 'ceasefire'. 
Hamas reiterates refusal to recognize Israel" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 2/12) 
 
"Worldwide denunciations of Israel's excavations around the al-Aqsa 
Mosque" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 2/12) 
 
"Two US soldiers killed in Iraq.  A seventh US helicopter is downed. 
 Disagreements between US and Iraqi soldiers delay implementation of 
the Baghdad security plan" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 2/12) 
 
"Thousands of Lebanese women join the sit-in in Beirut.  The 
opposition:  The government is paving the way for foreign 
 
intervention" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/12) 
 
"Russia and America:  One cold war is enough.  Ivanov calls for 
canceling the treaty on banning medium-range missiles" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 2/12) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
--------------------------- 
"Unconvincing Coincidences" 
--------------------------- 
Ahmad Dawwa, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawrah, wrote 
(2/12):  "The Bush administration ignored the Israeli aggression 
against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian worshippers and 
remembered only to tell Fatah and HAMAS, after the signing of the 
Mecca Agreement, to comply with the conditions of the international 
Quartet, as if Israel were committed to the conditions of this 
committee.... 
"The European countries were content simply to ask Israel to stop 
the demolitions around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, not because they 
constituted an aggression against the mosque, but because the 
circumstances were not right...! 
"Arab and Islamic countries are to blame for their failure to 
respond to the Israeli action.... If Arabs and Muslims fail to adopt 
a position that goes beyond statements of condemnation and 
denunciation, they will wake up one day to find that the Al-Aqsa 
Mosque has been reduced to rubble...." 
------------------------------ 
"Denunciation Is Insufficient" 
------------------------------ 
Ahmad Hamadah, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawrah, wrote 
(2/12):  "Dividing Iraq remains the main objective for Americans.... 
 The security chaos throughout Iraq and the efforts to create 
sectarian and ethnic sedition in the country are part of this 
American plan, which seeks to serve Israel, the Israeli lobby, and 
the monopolistic companies.... 
"The aim is to turn Iraq into an Israeli-American sphere of 
influence and a base from which to extend this influence across the 
Middle East...." 
------------------------------ 
"Putin's Finger and Our Wound" 
------------------------------ 
Maha Sultan, a columnist in government-owned Tishrin, wrote (2/12): 
"Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly criticized US policy and 
Washington's attempt to impose its will on the whole world.... 
"The Middle East is the region that suffers most from the domination 
of US policies over its decisions and fate.... 
"Putin certainly came up with nothing new.  The world senses and 
realizes the American danger, although it does not say it so 
clearly, publicly, and courageously.  Most of those who attack US 
policies waited until they left decision-making centers before they 
said what they said, which was much less than what Putin said.... 
"We hope Putin's position will mark the beginning of an 
international campaign to redress the international balance of power 
and bring some justice to the world." 
Corbin