VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0416/01 1231430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031430Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3409
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6771
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4500
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3121
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7645
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1718
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5054
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1261
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7386

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000416 
 
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/GCC, Syria/US, Syria/South Africa, Winograd Report, 
Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories (5/3) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on May 3 reported President Asad's 
meeting on May 2 with Abdul-Rahman Attiya, Secretary General of the 
Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC).  Talks focused on developments in 
Iraq, the occupied territories, and Lebanon, and on bilateral 
cooperation and means to activate Arab cooperation through the Arab 
League and other Arab establishments, such as the GCC.  The parties 
agreed on the need to spee 
d up agreement on the establishment of a 
free trade zone between Syria and the GCC countries, and to 
encourage the GCC countries to take advantage of the good investment 
climate in Syria. 
 
Papers also reported Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnus's 
meeting David Satterfield, senior adviser to the US Secretary of 
State and Coordinator of Iraq Affairs, in Sharm al-Sheikh on May 2 
on the sidelines of the Iraq Neighboring Countries Conference. 
Talks focused on bilateral relations between Syria and the US and 
preparations for the expanded Conference of Iraq's Neighboring 
Countries.  Independent al Watan quoted an Iraqi source as saying 
that this meeting prepared for Secretary Rice's meeting on May 3 
with Syrian FM Walid Mouallem, the first at this level since 
relations deteriorated after the killing of Former Lebanese PM Rafiq 
Hariri. 
 
All papers featured a statement in Sharm al-Sheikh on May 2 by 
Italian Foreign Minister Massimo Dalima reiterating the importance 
of Syrian and Iranian roles in the Middle East.  "Participation of 
Syria and Iran in the Sharm al-Sheikh conference on Iraq tomorrow is 
a positive indication," Dalima said.  He renewed his country's 
assertion that it is important for the US to hold direct dialogue 
with Syria and Iran. 
 
On Syrian-South African relations, papers reported that VP Shara 
received on May 2 a letter to President Asad from South African 
President Thabo Mbeiki, in which he expressed his country's interest 
in strengthening the existing friendly relations between the 
countries and in boosting mutual cooperation.  The letter was handed 
to Shara by Assistant Secretary General of the African National 
Congress, Sanki Mahanili.  They talked about regional, African and 
international developments. 
 
Papers also reported the statement issued on May 2 at the conclusion 
of the 'International Conference of Arab and Islamic Media to 
Support the Palestinian People.'  It stressed Syria's right to the 
occupied Golan, renewed commitment to deepen the culture of 
resistance in the face of the culture of hegemony, and called for 
differentiating between the peoples' legitimate right to resist 
occupation and all forms of terrorism.  The final statement also 
confirmed the Palestinian right of return and their right to 
establish an independent state.  It also expressed support for the 
national Lebanese resistance and defended its right to possess arms. 
 The statement also called on Islamic and Arab media to refute and 
dismiss the distorted image conveyed by Israeli, US and some Western 
media, particularly with respect to the Arab-Israeli conflict. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad discusses regional developments and Syrian-GCC 
cooperation with Abdul-Rahman Attiya, Secretary General of the Gulf 
Cooperation Council" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/3) 
 
"President Asad receives a message from South African President 
Mbeiki.  VP Shara confirms to Mahanili Syria's appreciation for 
South African positions" (Government-owned TIshreen, 5/3) 
 
"Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnus discusses bilateral 
relations and preparations for the      Sharm al-Sheikh conference 
with David Satterfield" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/3) 
 
"The 'International Conference of Arab and Islamic Media to Support 
the Palestinian People' concludes its deliberations at Quneitera and 
expresses solidarity with the peoples of the Golan and Palestine" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/3) 
 
"The storm of Winograd Report:  Hizbollah SecGen:  It 
 
Admitted Israel's defeat.  Israeli FM Livni calls on Olmert to 
resign" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/3) 
 
"A new Egyptian proposal for prisoner swap between Israel and 
Palestinians.  A US plan to schedule peace talks between Israel and 
Palestine" (Independent al-Watan, 5/3) 
 
"Saudi Arabia refuses a meeting between the International Quartet 
and some Arab countries to revive the peace process" (Independent 
al-Watan, 5/3) 
 
"Killing of three US soldiers in Baghdad" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 5/3) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------- 
 
"At the Moment of Truth" 
 
------------------------- 
 
Hanan Hamad, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(5/3):  "It was not astonishing that the US president rushed to 
support the head of the Israeli government after the strong tremor 
that the Winograd Commission report caused.  In tangible 
documentation of the results of the July aggression on Lebanon, the 
report used the words failure, inexperience, haste, and other 
adjectives that could all be summed up in one expressive word: 
failure.  The American support for Olmert did not come as a 
surprise, especially since the aggression was American-made and the 
decision to continue it for over 30 days despite its failure was an 
American decision.  Add to this the fact that Olmert's fall at this 
delicate juncture for the US administration would add to its 
failures in the region and strengthen the possibilities of the fall 
of those whom it supports, as they are the tools of its faltering 
plan in the Middle East. 
 
"Since the 'crutch' that President Bush rushed to offer to Olmert at 
the moment of his possible fall was a description of the Israeli 
prime minister as 'a key to the peace process,' it was meant to 
encourage and urge those who hope to market the Arab peace plan in 
Israel to contribute to the attempt to rescue Olmert.... 
 
"Will Arabs be swayed by this sweeping American desire to save 
Olmert and the other tools of the American plan in the region, or 
will the axis of resistance and opposition prevail after it has 
competently proved that all the images painted of the invincible 
Israeli military power were just an exaggeration that the will for 
victory has dissipated and the adherence to rights and land has 
obstructed?  The answer to this question will come soon, especially 
since the Winograd report, although comprehensive and thorough, 
disregarded an important point.  Its diagnosis of the flaws talked 
only about the ways decisions were made, objectives were set, and 
revisions were conducted during the battles, and about the army's 
weak technological and creative abilities.  It did not refer -- or 
perhaps it did in its secret part -- to the exacerbating structural 
flaws in Israeli society, which is built on racism, arrogance, and 
the lack of incentive for sacrifice and initiative -- 
characteristics that make people doubt that Israel will be able to 
continue and survive." 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"Breaking the Silence Barrier" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Mihriz al-Ali, a commentator in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (5/3):  "Revelations by former CIA Director George 
Tenet concerning the Iraq war prove that neoconservatives took the 
war decision in advance and made the relevant military plans before 
embarking on their campaign of lies to deceive the American people 
into thinking that the war on Iraq was necessary.... 
 
"A tense debate is taking place in the United States over Iraq.... 
 
Bush's intransigent rejection of a timetable for the withdrawal of 
the American forces and his insistence on continuing the war and 
exhausting American and Iraqi human and material resources will 
ultimately lead to the resounding fall of the US Administration, 
given the ever increasing number of Iraq war opponents...." 
 
Corbin