VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0213/01 0641313
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051313Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3066
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6614
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4381
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2994
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7548
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1607
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4945
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1157
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7284

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000213 
 
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/Venezuela, Syria/Norway, Syria/Italy, Syria/Iraq, 
Syria/US, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia/Iran (3/5) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on March 5 reported the March 4 visit to 
Damascus of Venezuelan FM Nicolas Maduro and his meeting with Deputy 
FM Faisal Miqdad.  The purpose of the visit was to boost bilateral 
relations and carry out agreements signed during the visit of 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Damascus last August. 
 
In a second meeting on March 4, Deputy FM Miqdad discussed with 
Norwegian Foreign Ministry Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs Sven 
Seveie the latest developments in the region, particularly in the 
Palestinian arena, and efforts to form a Palestinian national unity 
government.  During the meeting, Miqdad underlined the importance of 
the international community backing efforts to form the national 
unity government by lifting the siege on Palestinians.  The 
Norwegian official expressed his country's appreciation for the 
efforts of Syria to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation and 
ease the suffering of the Palestinian people. 
 
On Syrian-Italian relations, papers reported Information Minister 
Mohsen Bilal's meeting on March 4 with an Italian media delegation 
headed by Laura Boldrini, Senior Regional Public Information Officer 
at the UN High Commission for Refugees in Rome.  Bilal emphasized 
that Syria is doing its best to help the Iraqi people restore 
security and stability in order to realize a unified, free and 
independent Iraq.  Bilal said that what Syria has been offering 
Iraqi refugees stems from its belief in its Arab role, and not from 
a desire to please anybody.  Minister Bilal reiterated the 
importance of Euro-Mediterranean relations, particularly between 
Syria and the EU, and the role that could be played by the EU to 
extricate Iraq from its catastrophe.  For their part, members of the 
delegation expressed sympathy with the humanitarian situation of 
Iraqi refugees in Syria, voicing appreciation for Syria's efforts to 
help and ease their suffering. 
 
Papers also reported the visit to Damascus by Iraqi Vice President 
Tarek al-Hashemi scheduled for March 5.  Mr. Hashemi will hold talks 
with Syrian senior officials on the latest developments in the 
region, particularly the situation in Iraq, and bilateral relations. 
 
 
On Syrian/US relations, papers reported that Minister of Expatriates 
Dr. Buthaina Sha'ban received on March 4 a delegation of US 
intellectuals and businessmen headed by one Richard Miri.  Sha'ban 
confirmed to the delegation that Syria is doing its best to achieve 
security and stability in the region in order to realize a just and 
comprehensive peace in line with international resolutions.  Dr. 
Sha'ban criticized US policy in the region, saying that "It is based 
on stirring up chaos in a manner that serves Israel's policy."  She 
indicated that "the Arab and American peoples are paying the price 
for these policies and wars."  For their part, members of the 
delegation asserted the importance of their visit to listen directly 
to the constructive viewpoints in Syria in order to convey them to 
US public opinion.  Mr. Miri said he hoped that dialogue with Syria 
would continue in the interest of both sides and of security and 
stability in the region. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"The Arab League Council meeting in Cairo endorses agenda of the 
Arab Summit and reiterates support for the Mecca Accord and the 
reactivation of Iraqi reconciliation.  It confirms Syria's right to 
restoration of the occupied Golan and rejects US unilateral 
sanctions imposed on Syria" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) 
 
"Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad receives Nicolas Maduro, 
Venezuelan Foreign Minister, and Sven Seveie, Norwegian Foreign 
Ministry Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 3/5) 
 
"Minister of Information Bilal to an Italian media delegation:  What 
Syria offers to Iraqi refugees is not for the purpose of satisfying 
any other side" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/5) 
 
"Minister of Expatriates Sha'ban to US intellectuals and 
businessmen:  US policy spreads chaos in the region to serve Israel" 
 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/5) 
 
"Iraqi Vice President al-Hashemi is due in Damascus today" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 3/5) 
 
"Al-Maliki does not rule out that the Baghdad conference will be 
basis for regional dialogues.  Tehran expresses hope for the success 
of the Baghdad Conference" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) 
 
"An imminent reshuffle in the Iraqi government.  Three US soldiers 
killed in al-Anbar battles" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/5) 
 
"Israeli reinforcements along border with Lebanon. Lebanese national 
powers warn the governing team not to seek power through aggression. 
 Parliament Speaker Berri sees an end for the Lebanese crisis" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) 
 
"The Arab League refuses to reconsider the Arab peace initiative. 
Israelis arrive in the US to convince Washington to continue its 
objection to the Palestinian government" (Independent Al-Wattan, 
3/5) 
 
"Saudi-Iranian agreement to confront attempts that aim to partition 
the Islamic world.  Ahmadinejad:  We realize the threats quite well" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
-------------------- 
 
"An American Window" 
 
-------------------- 
 
Maha Sultan, a political editor in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(3/5):  "The US Administration has finally decided to stop its 
intransigence and accept the calls upon it to open up diplomatically 
and politically to Iran and Syria and sit with them at one table in 
the Baghdad conference on 10 March, with the hope of containing the 
Iraqi security nightmare that haunts Bush at home and abroad and in 
his relations with the region and the world. 
 
"But the various interpretations, whether positive or negative, do 
not negate the high importance of the American step.  All sensible 
people in the world agree that this is absolutely a step in the 
right direction, and that although it is coming late, it will have 
its impact on the solution to the Iraqi crisis and the achievement 
of security and stability for the Iraqi people. 
 
"Whether the conference succeeds, achieves some success, or comes up 
with nothing, its holding in and of itself opens a window in the 
American wall not only with regard to Iraq but also with regard to 
all the other issues of the region, especially since all the parties 
in the region want and call for dialogue and express willingness to 
make every possible effort to find solutions to the crises of the 
region in cooperation with the United States.  This would help the 
United States rapidly improve its image in the region and the world 
and thus achieve much better results than those achieved by its 
experts who are assigned this job.  This would be a gain for the 
United States, just as it would be a gain for us.... 
 
"The optimism about this open American window does not remove the 
pessimism to which we are accustomed in the region, as the talk is 
about the Bush administration, the strongest supporter of Israel 
among the American administrations.  The president in the White 
House is surrounded by his conservative advisers, who are strongly 
loyal to Israel and who prevent him from seeing clearly, leaving him 
to see only through Israeli eyes." 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
"Mosad's Claws between Lebanon and Iraq" 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
Sa'dallah Barakat, a columnist in government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
 
commented (3/5):  "There have been reports that a network working 
for the Israeli Mosad, but under the name of a European country, was 
unveiled in Lebanon.... 
 
"Israel's interference in the domestic affairs of other countries 
and encroachment upon their sovereignty is nothing new.  Also, it is 
not new for the Israeli Mosad to disguise itself behind the 
intelligence of other countries, because Israel is used to violating 
sovereignty and disdaining its political friends and partners.... 
 
"We fear that the Lebanese governing team, which turns a blind eye 
to such penetration, might be fooled by this exposed Israeli game 
and believe, or try to make the Lebanese believe, that Israel is not 
involved in this intelligence network.... 
 
"The aim of both Israel and the United States is to fragment Lebanon 
and turn it into a hideout for conspiracies against Syria...." 
 
----------- 
 
"US Memory" 
 
----------- 
 
Ahmad Dawwa, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawrah, 
commented (3/5):  "The United States is planning to obtain a 
resolution accusing Hizbollah of using civilians as human shields 
during the war in the summer. 
 
"The Bush administration knows well who destroyed bridges, blocked 
roads, targeted buses, and threatened civilians with air raids.  It 
also knows that despite all this, more than one million Lebanese 
left south Lebanon during the war.  This proves that the American 
accusation against the resistance does not at all reflect American 
concern for Lebanese civilians.  On the contrary, this is another 
aggression against them because they embraced the resistance.... 
 
"The party responsible for the death of a large number of civilians 
during the July war is the US Administration, which prevented the 
international community from stopping the Israeli aggression during 
its first days, in the hope that it would give birth to the 'new 
Middle East'.... 
 
"Israel is behind this new US effort but we must not ignore the role 
of the Lebanese who jumped on the American bandwagon and who are 
appealing night and day for American financial, military, and 
political help to weaken the resistance, which, along with the other 
nationalist forces, is awaiting their plans, which seek to turn 
Lebanon into a backyard for Israel and a barricade for the failed 
American plan in the region.... 
 
"This American position dashes hopes that the Bush administration 
might return to its senses and undermines the credibility of any 
American move regarding the other issues of the region." 
 
Corbin