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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0364/01 1061134
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O 161134Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3325
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6735
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4472
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3086
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7620
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1690
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5027
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1234
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7359

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000364 
 
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:  US/Syria, Syria/Lebanon, Syria/Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, 
Palestinian Territories, US/Iran (4/16) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Independent al-Watan on Apr. 16 reported a meeting 
arranged by the State Department with Arab reporters in Washington 
with Alberto Fernandez, of the Near East Bureau at the State 
Department, who denied that there is any new dialogue between Syria 
and the US, but said that "there might be something new."  "We are 
worried about the behavior of the Syrian government regarding some 
issues, especially in Lebanon and Iraq," the US diplomat said.  "The 
problem is that the Syrian government has not changed its behavior, 
in spite of the flexibility that it shows regarding peace with 
Israel.  If there is a problem, it is due to wrong advice that has 
been given to the Syrian leadership encouraging it to implement a 
confrontational policy, encourage discord and send fighters to 
Iraq."  Fernandez said that the US admits "that Syria is important, 
and has economic and political potential to play a leading role in 
the Arab world;  we especially need Arab and regional leadership in 
the region, not only Saudi leadership." 
 
Independent al-Watan also quoted Western diplomatic sources as 
saying that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov will 
visit Syria this week to discuss with President Asad and Syrian 
officials attempts to establish the international tribunal on the 
al-Hariri assassination under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter and to 
send an international inspection commission to the Lebanese-Syrian 
border. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Washington:  Syria must play a leading role in the Arab world.  The 
US State Department accuses Arabs of hypocrisy towards the 
Palestinian issue and of rejoicing in events in Iraq" (Independent 
al-Watan, 4/16) 
 
"The Palestinian government endorses formation of the National 
Security Council.  The Abbas-Olmert meeting achieves no results" 
(Independent 4/16) 
 
"Abbas precedes his meeting with Abbas by claiming openness towards 
the Arab initiative" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/16) 
 
"Zebari discusses preparations for the Iraq Neigboring Countries 
Conference.  Al-Sadr bloc withdraws from the government" 
(Independent al-Watan, 4/16) 
 
"Lebanese Opposition:  There is no possibility of reconciliation 
with the governing team... No confidence in the US-formed tribunal" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 4/16) 
 
"European MPs reiterate the importance of national accord among 
Lebanese.  Lebanese figures:  We have no trust in a US-formed 
tribunal" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/16) 
 
"Two British military helicopters crash north of Baghdad, killing 
two UK and four US soldiers" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/16) 
 
"If Pelosi wants to visit Iran, her request can be studied.  Iran 
seeks to establish two new nuclear plants (Independent al-Watan, 
4/16) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------- 
 
"Close and Remote Peace" 
 
------------------------- 
 
Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (4/16):  "Never has Syria been ready to talk about 
negotiations under the table, simply because it does not have to do 
such a thing.  A country that seeks peace and that has a right 
supported by international resolutions and by history and geography, 
and above all by a solid resolve, does not have to accept a peace 
dialogue under the table. 
 
"Actions that take place 'behind the scenes' and in the 'dark' are 
shameful.  Syria does not consider peace to be a shameful act unless 
it entails surrender and concessions, which Damascus will never 
offer either covertly or overtly.... 
 
"Olmert's government is too weak to take courageous steps for peace. 
 This was clear in the confused Israeli reaction to the Arab peace 
plan, which ranged between partial and total rejection.  There were 
also serious attempts to modify the Arab plan and render it 
essentially hollow. 
 
"The other point is that the United States is not interested in 
peace.  Observers can see that the Bush Administration, which 
incites wars, conflicts, and sedition, has not taken a single step 
toward peace.... 
 
"Peace needs courage and will, which, we believe, Olmert's 
government lacks.  Israel has always claimed that it has no 
'partner' for peace.  But the fact is that Arabs are the ones who do 
not find a peace partner.  Peace will get closer if there is an 
Israeli-American will, but will move far away if Israel and the 
United States continue the same policy, which is hostile to peace 
and the efforts that seek to achieve it." 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
"Striking at the Army Establishment" 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
Ahmad Dawwa, a commentator in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (4/16):  "France and the United States are seeking 
to push the situation in Lebanon in particular, and Syrian-Lebanese 
relations in general, toward further tension....  This does not 
serve the interests of Lebanon or stability in the region.... 
 
"The French-American talk about smuggling weapons across the border 
is not supported by any evidence. The two countries should accept 
the Lebanese Army's statement, which denied any weapon smuggling, 
not the lies of Israel, which always works to undermine Lebanon's 
independence, the independence that Paris and Washington falsely 
claim they want to assert. 
 
"The Lebanese Army's discovery of a weapons depot for the Samir 
Jeajea-led Lebanese Forces Party clearly shows from where weapons 
are smuggled into Lebanon and who sponsors this smuggling and 
provides cover for it.... 
 
"The French-American silence on the governing team's effort to arm 
its militias can only be explained as support for this team's 
obvious attempt to ignite civil war.  It is also proof that the two 
sides are directly involved in providing this team with 
weapons...." 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
"Ungrateful Individuals, Civil War, 
and the Future of Lebanon" 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Muhyi-al-Din Muhammad, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (4/16):  "On the occasion of the anniversary of the 
Lebanese civil war, only ungrateful and rancorous individuals would 
forget Syria's sacrifices for the sake of Lebanon.... 
 
"Syria lost about 15,000 soldiers in its effort to stop the Lebanese 
civil war and bring peace back to Lebanon....  The Lebanese people 
realize what Syria did and are doing everything in their power to 
prevent Jumblatt, Jeajea, and other forces that are linked to 
Israel, from reigniting the civil war.... 
 
"The current conflict in Lebanon is between a handful of individuals 
who have linked their interests to the American-Zionist plan that 
targets Lebanon and the whole region, and forces that have dedicated 
themselves to serving Lebanon, its sovereignty, and its Arab 
 
affiliation...." 
 
--------------- 
 
"Preconditions" 
 
--------------- 
Ali Nasrallah, a commentator in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (4/16):  "President Bush has set preconditions for 
his talks with Democrats on Iraq.... 
 
"President Bush invited Democratic Congressional leaders to a 
meeting on Iraq not to negotiate with them or to find a settlement, 
but to tell them, as the White House spokesman said, that it is not 
logical to set arbitrary dates for withdrawal from Iraq, and to ask 
them to grant him carte blanche for an endless war.... 
 
"If Bush, who claims to be one of the most prominent advocates of 
democracy in the world, wants to demolish democracy in his own 
country and to go against the majority and world public opinion, 
then it is legitimate to ask about the nature of the democracy that 
he wants to export to the world and whether it brings anything other 
than further death and destruction.... 
 
"The Bush administration is really one of the biggest forgers of 
facts and concepts.  In its attempt to blame Democrats for the 
defeat in Iraq unless they approve a clean budget bill, this 
administration seeks to tie the hands of the Congressional majority 
and to undermine the foundations of US democracy.  Democrats intend 
to confront these attempts and put an end to the Administration's 
futile actions and the damage it is causing to US interests...." 
 
 
Corbin