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DE RUEHDM #0161/01 0511342
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O 201342Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2987
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6586
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4353
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2967
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7523
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1581
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4919
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1132
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7256

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000161 
 
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, Syria/Iraq, Abbas-Olmert-Rice Meeting, 
Syria/Iran (2/20) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Feb. 20 reported that President Asad 
received former Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Salim al-Huss on Feb. 
¶19.  Talks touched upon regional and international developments, 
particularly in Lebanon, and the importance of strengthening 
national unity on the basis of Lebanon's Arab affiliation. 
 
On Syrian-Iraqi relations, papers reported VP Shara's meeting with 
Akram al-Hakim, Iraqi Minister of State for National Dialogue 
Affairs.  Shara stressed that national reconciliation is 
indispensable for Iraq to regain its security, safeguard the unity 
of its land and people, and achieve its freedom and sovereignty.  He 
renewed Syria's offer of anything that would help achieve national 
accord among Iraqis.  In a statement to reporters after the meeting, 
Al-Hakim stressed the importance of the role that Syria is playing 
with regard to Iraq.  He said he sensed from his meeting with 
President Asad and other Syrian officials a full Syrian readiness to 
support the political process and the reconciliation plan in Iraq. 
"This is a big gain for Iraq," he said. 
 
All papers reported that the Lebanese party al-Ittihad demanded on 
Feb. 19 an immediate expulsion of Jeffrey Feltman, the US ambassador 
to Lebanon, due to his intervention in Lebanese internal affairs. 
The party's statement denounced the Ambassador's continuous 
interference in Lebanese internal affairs and his clear role in 
stirring up sedition among the Lebanese, as well as in hindering 
every Arab effort to solve the Lebanese crisis.  For his part, the 
head of Al-Marada Lebanese Movement, Sulaiman Franjieh, confirmed 
the important current role of the Lebanese opposition, calling upon 
all Lebanese to show great self-control in facing the provocations 
to which they have been exposed. 
 
News reports featured an interview with al-Arabiya Satellite Channel 
broadcast Feb. 19 with Mohammed al-Hurani, Fatah Movement spokesman, 
who stressed his movement's commitment to the national unity 
government.  Al-Hurani said that "Israel exploits the conditions of 
the Quartet as a pretext not to revive peace negotiations with 
Palestinians."  He pointed out that the tripartite 
American-Israeli-Palestinian summit meeting in Jerusalem failed to 
make any startling breakthroughs.  Al-Hurani called for Arab and 
international efforts to hold an international conference to find a 
final solution to the Palestinian issue and lift the siege on 
Palestinians. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad reviews with former Lebanese PM al-Huss importance 
of enhancing Lebanon's national unity" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
2/20) 
 
"Vice-President Shara stresses Syria's concern about Iraq's national 
accord during his meeting with Minister of State for National 
Dialogue Affairs Akram al-Hakim" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/20) 
 
"More than 8 American soldiers killed, 23 injured in Iraq. 
Returning US soldiers confuse psychologists" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 2/20) 
 
"The Abbas-Olmert-Rice meeting brings nothing new except for Israeli 
preconditions.  Fatah and Hamas:  Rice has ignored the Mecca Accord" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 2/20) 
 
"Lebanese President Lahoud warns against the dangers of the current 
stage.  Lebanese condemnations of US intervention in Lebanon's 
internal affairs on the rise" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/20) 
 
"Berri:  The opposition contemplates civil disobedience" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/20) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
"Cooperation in the Service of the Region's Issues" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, commented (2/20):  "President Asad's visit to Tehran 
enjoys extraordinary importance because it sought to strengthen 
relations and explore new horizons for promoting bilateral 
cooperation in all fields.  The aim was also to discuss the issues 
of the region and underline the clear positions of the two countries 
and their good efforts to bring stability back to the region, which 
the reckless, foolish, and adventurous US policy has pushed toward 
chaos, tension, and volatility, the like of which it has never 
experienced before.  This exposes the tricks, lies, and deception 
that the US Administration and Israel practice to distort the truth 
of the Syrian and Iranian positions.... 
 
"With regard to the Palestinian situation and its complications and 
the efforts that are being made to contain the civil strife that the 
Israeli and American policies have been working to ignite, 
Presidents Asad and Ahmadinejad welcomed the Mecca agreement to form 
a Palestinian national unity government.  Thus, they offered their 
support for the Palestinian accord as the only way out of the crisis 
and the decisive factor in foiling Israeli and American plans to 
foment domestic strife so that the Palestinian cause might be 
liquidated at the hands of its own people.... 
 
"On the Iraqi crisis, the two presidents expressed their support for 
the ongoing political process in Iraq and the need for all the 
components of the Iraqi people to participate in it to safeguard 
Iraq's geopolitical unity, Arab affiliation, and Islamic identity, 
and to renounce the sedition that the US occupation is working to 
foment in that country as part of the destructive chaos policy it is 
trying to promote in the entire region to compensate for its 
miserable failure to implement its plan of restructuring the Middle 
East in a way that serves the vital interests of Israel and the 
ruling American right...." 
 
--------------- 
 
"Preconditions" 
 
--------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishrin, wrote 
(2/20):  "It is surprising that Israel is calling on Palestinians to 
respond to the demands of the international community while Tel Aviv 
is ignoring UN resolutions and even the recommendations of the 
International Quartet itself.... 
 
"Israel is not serious about any negotiations.... The United States 
implements only what Israel wants.... So through the preconditions 
they set to meet the Palestinians, Israel and the United States 
fabricate claims and preconceived positions to close the horizon of 
a permanent solution to the Palestinian problem...." 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
"An Israeli Policy Implemented by the US" 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
Ahmad Suwwan, a commentator in government-owned Tishrin, wrote 
(2/20):  "The American activity on the Palestinian-Israel track is 
mostly a public relations effort, because the United States cannot 
move on the Palestinian question except in accordance with Israeli 
positions, plans, and gains.... 
 
"Judging from recent American positions and statements, the results 
of the three-way meeting among Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice are disappointing, as the meeting will not lead to 
the resumption of negotiations and the reactivation of the peace 
process on the Palestinian track.... 
 
"Olmert, who is experiencing a difficult situation domestically, 
does not want to commit himself to anything whose price he is unable 
to pay." 
 
 
 
Corbin