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DE RUEHDM #0188/01 0581242
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O 271242Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3025
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6598
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4365
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2977
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7532
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1591
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4928
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1141
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7268

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000188 
 
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/Spain, OIC, Israeli Nukes, Palestinian Territories, 
Lebanon, Iraq, Iran (2/23-25) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Feb. 25 reported that on Feb. 22 in 
Madrid King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain inaugurated Arab 
House and the Spanish Political Conference with the participation of 
Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem and the Foreign Ministers of Saudi 
Arabia, UAE, Tunisia, Yemen, Iraq and Jordan.  King Carlos, who 
heads the Council of Secretaries of Arab House, hoped the conference 
would be the starting point for an Arab-Spanish ministerial forum 
and a framework for political interaction for reaching joint 
positions in the future.  Al-Mouallem delivered a speech at the 
conference in which he reiterated the importance of reviving the 
Arab-Europe dialogue, touching upon the important role that Spain is 
playing as "a bridge between Arabs and Europeans in understanding 
the issues of the region...."  He called for reviving the Middle 
East peace process with the aim of reaching a just and comprehensive 
settlement that ends the Israeli occupation of the occupied Arab 
territories in the Golan and Palestine. 
 
Papers also reported the OIC Ministerial meeting that concluded on 
Feb. 22 in Jeddah with the participation of Deputy Foreign Minister 
Dr. Faisal al-Meqdad.  The conference focused on Israeli assaults 
against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  The conferees supported the Mecca 
Accord between Fatah and Hamas and welcomed efforts to form a 
Palestinian national unity government.  The meeting mandated the OIC 
Group in New York to follow up on its request to the UN Security 
Council to take the necessary measures to end the serious violations 
against the al-Aqsa Mosque.  It requested the OIC Group at UNESCO to 
continue to urge this organization to fulfill its responsibilities 
and take the necessary measures to preserve the human and 
civilization heritage of Jerusalem, including the formation of a 
committee to investigate the Israeli assaults against the al-Aqsa 
Mosque. 
 
Papers also reported that the Arab Ambassadors Council in Vienna has 
stressed, in a message sent to the Director General of the 
International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Mohammed Baradei on Feb. 
23, that by possessing military nuclear capabilities, Israel is 
violating the will of the international community.  The message, 
which was sent by the Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps, Omani 
Ambassador in Vienna, Salem Ben Mohammed, underlined the importance 
of the Syrian Initiative in 2003, which was proposed on behalf of 
the Arab Group at the UN Security Council, that called for ridding 
the Middle East of WMD, confirming the Arab countries' right to take 
all measures necessary to deal with the threat represented by the 
Israeli nuclear arsenal. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem calls for reviving Arab- European 
dialogue and the Middle East Peace Process" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 2/23) 
 
"Deputy Foreign Minister Miqdad addresses the OIC Ministerial 
meeting in Jedda:  The weakness of the Arab nation encourages 
Israeli assaults against the al-Aqsa mosque" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 2/23) 
 
"Former US Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke and US Democratic 
Senator Christopher Carney call on US President Bush to hold 
dialogue with Syria" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 2/25) 
 
"The Organization of Islamic Conference calls for boycotting 
relations with Israel" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/25) 
 
"British 'Daily Telegraph':  Israel negotiates with Washington to 
hit Iranian positions" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/25) 
 
"The Lebanese opposition:  The current government works according to 
the directives of US Ambassador in Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 2/25) 
 
"Solana:  We will not leave Palestinians without help.  Mishaal in 
Moscow tomorrow:  European steps to break siege on Palestinians have 
started;  Arabs are capable of breaking the siege" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 2/24) 
 
 
"A UN report depicts Israeli occupation as apartheid" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 2/24) 
 
"The UN Human Rights Council:  Israel is practicing racist 
discrimination and terrorism" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/23) 
 
"Arab Ambassadors in Vienna urge Director General of the 
International Atomic Energy Agency el-Baradei to address the Israeli 
nuclear threat" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/24) 
 
"The Lebanese national opposition heads towards a decisive week. 
The agenda of the February 14 team is not Lebanese.  The explosives 
that were discovered in Al-Ashrafia are Israeli-made" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 2/24) 
 
"Former Lebanese Prime Minister al-Huss:  Lebanese accord is 
achievable without superpowers' intervention" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 2/23) 
 
"Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan:  The International Court must 
unveil the truth, not settle scores" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
2/25) 
 
"US helicopters are successively falling in Iraq.  British papers: 
Blair's decision on reducing forces in Iraq is a classic scenario 
for a defeated leader" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 2/23) 
 
"Iran launches a satellite and warns against any aggression.  US 
Vice President Cheney:  All options are on the table with regard to 
Iran" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 2/25) 
 
"Iran persists in its right to a peaceful nuclear program.  US 
political and military mobilization is met by Russian-Chinese 
opposition and German patience" (Government-owned Tishreen, 2/24) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
"Before the Damage Has Been Done" 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(2/24):  "When Israel conducts large-scale military maneuvers, using 
all types of weapons, on occupied Syrian territory -- as recognized 
by the whole world - it acts as if it is exercising a natural right! 
 Is it not the spoiled child of the near and far West and the 
illegitimate baby of the colonialist West's conspiracy against Arabs 
for more than a century? 
 
"If a news report about Syria's intention to conclude a normal and 
purely defensive arms deal is leaked, the US Administration raises a 
hue and cry and works without limit to hinder the deal because any 
weapons for Syria threaten the security of Israel and the United 
States itself, and perhaps the security of the galaxy! 
 
"But when the United States shows all generosity toward Israel and 
opens the doors of its storehouses wide for Tel Aviv to scoop up 
whatever defensive and assault weapons it wants, conventional or 
not, Syria, the Arabs, and the peoples of the region from Central 
Asia to central Africa should not worry...! 
 
"Because there is a mythical project in the minds of Israel, the 
Zionist Conference Organization, and the Zionized Americans who 
embrace so-called 'Zionist Christianity,' the threat is not 
imaginary;  it has not been invented by any Arab, Muslim, or 
Christian.... 
 
"We do not think people could disagree that what is happening in 
Iraq is aimed at serving Israel, Zionists, and neoconservatives in 
the United States, Britain, and many other countries in the 
civilized West! 
 
"For more than a quarter of a century, Israel believed that a strong 
 
Arab Iraq posed a threat to it and that Syria was the second 
threat.... 
 
"The Zionist Israeli strategy that the Zionized forces are 
implementing does not stop at the border of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, 
and Palestine.  It includes the entire Arab world and beyond, up to 
Iran, Turkey, and Central Asia...." 
-------------------------------------- 
 
"The Quartet and a Tripartite Meeting" 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
Adnan Ali, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawrah, wrote 
(2/23():  "The result of the Quartet meeting in Berlin was very 
similar to the result of the tripartite meeting among US Secretary 
of State Condoleezza Rice, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and 
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, which was even more of a 
failure.... 
 
"The quartet has been unable so far to play a role independent of 
American influence, which always drags it toward Israel.... 
 
"Israel is benefiting from nearly full American cover and it has 
nothing to offer to Palestinians, irrespective of who represents 
them....  Israel seeks to foil the Mecca Accord between Fatah and 
HAMAS and bring Palestinians back to internecine clashes.  This 
being the case, Palestinians need to demonstrate maximum national 
unity and adhere fully to the Mecca Accord.... 
 
--------------------- 
 
"Britain Shocks Bush" 
 
--------------------- 
 
Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (2/23):  "British Prime Minister Tony Blair 
surprised the US Administration with his decision to withdraw 
British forces from Iraq by the end of 2008 and to set a timetable 
for the implementation of this decision, a timetable that begins 
with the speedy return of 1,600 soldiers to their country.... 
 
"How will Bush react to the British decision?  If he says the 
decision is correct, he will be asked to do the same, and if he says 
that this is a betrayal of the biggest ally, he will be asked:  why 
don't you withdraw the troops now that they are left alone in the 
quagmire of death and blood? 
 
"The British decision closed the door to Bush's maneuvers to stay in 
Iraq and blocked the false policies through which he has justified 
the worst decision by an American president, namely, the decision to 
invade Iraq. 
 
"If Bush still has an option to save face after the withdrawal of 
his big allies -- Spain, Italy, and Britain -- from Iraq, then it is 
the option of following in their footsteps and making a courageous 
decision to pull out of Iraq to save the American troops and the 
Iraqi people from the bloodbath and allow Iraq to regain its 
freedom, independence, and unity, which the occupation is trying to 
tear apart in its effort to control the country, which rejects the 
invasion and its colonial plans. 
 
Corbin