VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0424/01 1280520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080520Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3423
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6779
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4508
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3129
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7652
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1727
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5062
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1269
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7394

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000424 
 
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/Russia, Syria/US, Sharm al-Sheikh Conference, 
Winograd Report, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Iraq 
(5/4-7) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on May 5 reported FM Mouallem's 
participation in the Ministerial Conference of Iraq's Neighboring 
Countries held in Sharm al-Sheikh on May 4.  In his speech at the 
conference, Mouallem stressed the need to schedule withdrawal of 
foreign troops from Iraq in accordance with a timetable agreed upon 
with the Iraqi government, in parallel with building the national 
Iraqi army to give hope for the return of a united and independent 
Iraq.  Mouallem warned against transforming talks on national 
reconciliation in Iraq into mere mottoes, instead of political work 
to guarantee Iraq's unity.  Papers on May 4 reported that, on the 
sidelines of the conference on May 3, Mouallem met with Secretary 
Rice about the situation in Iraq, and with Russian FM Lavrov, about 
the situation in the region, particularly in Iraq, Palestine and 
Lebanon.  Mouallem also met on May 3 with the European Union's High 
Coordinator for Foreign Policy, Javier Solana, for talks on 
relations between Syria and the EU.  Mouallem also took part in a 
meeting of the follow-up committee of the Arab peace initiative with 
members of the International Quartet Committee. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Mouallem's meeting with Rice in Sharm al-Sheikh focuses on 
bilateral relations and on the situation in Iraq.  Mouallem:  The 
meeting was frank and clear; contacts will continue" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/4) 
 
"The Sharm al-Sheikh statement emphasizes Iraq's unity and Arabism. 
FM al-Mouallem:  National reconciliation is a basic action and not a 
motto;  scheduling withdrawal of occupation forces is required" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/5) 
 
"On the sidelines of the Sharm al-Sheikh conference, FM Mouallem 
takes part in the meeting of the follow-up committee on the Arab 
peace initiative and reviews regional developments with Russian FM 
Lavrov and Syria-European relations with Solana" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 5/6) 
 
"The Sharm al-Skeikh conference ends without a US-Iranian meeting. 
Demand for scheduling withdrawal from Iraq disappears in the 
harmonizing statement of the conference" (Independent al-Watan, 
5/6) 
 
"The Arab Peace Initiative Committee meets Ki-Moon in Sharm 
al-Sheikh with the participation of Syria" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 5/4) 
 
"The Lebanese situation reaches an impasse.  The opposition proposes 
a solution.  Hizbollah SecGen Nasrallah:  The solution is to refer 
to the people and hold early elections" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
5/7) 
 
"UNIFIL denies weapon smuggling to South Lebanon. 
President Lahoud hints at a constitutional step if the crisis 
continues.  Lebanese opposition:  Some have not learned the lesson 
from the Winograd Report" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/5) 
 
"President Lahoud reiterates Lebanon's commitment to the resistance 
and its weapons.  Lahoud:  The al-Saniora government is 
illegitimate.  Berri:  It is demolishing Lebanon" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 5/6) 
 
"Closed consultations between Democrats and the White House.  Bush 
warns against Al-Qaeda's control in Iraq. Al-Zawahiri announces 
Washington's defeat in Iraq" (Independent al-Watan, 5/7) 
 
"US losses in Iraq on the rise:  The killing of 9 US soldiers in 
Diyala increases the number to 25 within one week" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 5/7) 
 
"US soldiers mistreat Iraqis.  The popularity of President Bush 
declines to 28%" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/6) 
 
"Palestinians' refusal of the US security plan in Gaza and the West 
 
 
Bank:  It aims at aborting Palestinian resistance" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 5/6) 
 
"The Israeli Winograd Committee moves the battle to the Israeli 
streets" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/4) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
"When Will Americans Carry Out the Last of the 
Baker-Hamilton Recommendations?" 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
Muhyi-al-Din al-Muhammad, a commentator in government-owned 
Tishreen, wrote (5/6):  "The Sharm al-Sheikh conference on Iraq 
showed common denominators among participants, mainly an 
international unanimity on the need to help Iraq overcome its 
plight.... But the conference has failed to call for the withdrawal 
of foreign forces from Iraq.... 
 
"The conferees were supposed to show interest in and approve a 
substantial point, but they didn't.  It is the need to schedule the 
withdrawal of the American and other forces that occupy Iraq.  The 
approval of that point would have made it more possible to implement 
the other recommendations. 
 
"Iraq's neighbors are sincere in their interest in Iraq's stability 
because instability in Iraq reflects negatively on them.... 
 
"It is regrettable that the US Administration has still not made up 
its mind and acknowledged the need to set a timetable for 
withdrawal, as recommended by the Baker-Hamilton Committee.  This is 
the case even though developments have proven that this 
administration, which fully rejected the committee's recommendations 
immediately after they were made a few months ago, is actually 
implementing them one recommendation after another.  Perhaps the 
recommendation on withdrawal will be the last to be implemented - 
that is, several months later and only when the Iraqi people have 
offered more victims and the defeat of the invading forces has 
become fully clear." 
 
------------------------ 
 
"Arbiter, Not Adversary" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Isam Dari, chief editor of government-owned Tishreen, wrote (5/5): 
"In its relations with other countries, Syria does not look for 
difficulties, practice terrorism, sanctify wars, or evade peace and 
its requirements.  The talk about difficulties must be addressed to 
those who create difficulties and hinder any effort toward a 
breakthrough in relations and toward the just and comprehensive 
peace that nations hope for. 
 
"We are here commenting on US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's 
remark after her meeting with FM Mouallem that 'we do not want to 
have a difficult relationship with Syria.' 
 
"Secretary Rice's statement is very fine and promising, not only 
because the US Administration is saying that it does not want to 
have a difficult relationship with Syria, but also because this 
administration has finally taken the step that it should have taken 
long ago, namely, engaging in direct dialogue rather than making 
fiery statements, threats, dictates, and accusations from afar. 
 
"We trust that any meeting, no matter how limited in its agenda and 
regardless of whether it is confined to one subject or more, 
indicates a belated conviction on the part of the American 
decision-makers that the policy of isolation, siege, and sanctions 
is useless and will not lead to solutions to problems and crises, 
and that peoples are not managed by remote control and are not ready 
to abandon their sovereignty and relinquish their rights no matter 
 
 
what the pressure on them and regardless of the sacrifices they 
make. 
 
"In full clarity, frankness, and transparency we say 
 that Syria is 
indeed willing to engage in dialogue with the United States.  This, 
however, does not mean we are begging for this dialogue.... 
"The opportunity is still there if the US Administration really 
wants to go down in history as a peacemaker, not as an igniter of 
wars.  Naturally, peace is made through serious and creative 
dialogue, not through the policies of isolation and the promotion of 
creative or destructive instability here and there.... 
 
"Have we started to see a kind of change in American policy toward 
the region? 
 
"Without being overtly optimistic and without giving pessimism 
precedence over hope, we say that the road to peace is not 
difficult.  Perhaps the late start of the dialogue will be a real 
beginning for the good of the region and its peoples, serving the 
interests of everyone, and above all, the interest of world peace. 
We expect the United States to be the arbiter, not the adversary, 
and to support peace, not war." 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
"Sharm al-Sheikh:  a Chance for Hope" 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Samir Al-Shibani, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen wrote 
(5/5):  "The Sharm al-Sheihk conference on Iraq gives some hope that 
Iraq will be saved from the tragic situation caused by the US 
occupation.... More than one party now sees the need to come out of 
the Iraqi crisis.... 
 
"The conference reflects international attention that the US 
Administration finds difficult to curb or ignore.... 
 
"Reaching a formula for meeting and understanding and recognizing 
the importance of the roles of Iraq's neighbors constitute a 
realistic and logical beginning for a solution because the 
neighboring countries are more interested in Iraq's security, unity, 
and stability than others are, and any problem in Iraq reflects on 
them before it reflects on others." 
 
"It is important to achieve Iraqi reconciliation on national, not 
sectarian, bases....  There is a need for all parties to engage in 
the political process and, more importantly, to set a timetable for 
the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq...." 
 
-------------------- 
 
"Most Useful Choice" 
 
-------------------- 
 
Muhammad Ali Buzah, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (5/4):  "Arabs must make use of the findings of the Winograd 
report in their conflict with Israel.  The war on Lebanon offered a 
living and honorable model of what the Arab nation's option should 
be in its effort to preserve its dignity and honor and regain the 
usurped lands and rights, namely, the option of resistance, which 
has proven effective and useful in a world that, regrettably, 
recognizes only the strong, and against a racist occupation enemy 
that never understood, and will never understand, anything other 
than the logic of force...." 
 
---------- 
 
"Dwarfing" 
 
---------- 
 
Maha Sultan, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
 
 
(5/6):  "The US proposal for removing Israeli roadblocks in the West 
Bank in return for a Palestinian halt to the firing of missiles is 
an attempt to diminish the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Israeli 
conflict.... 
 
"The US Administration will in the next few months do everything it 
can to score further achievements for Israel in an effort to improve 
the chances of the Republicans in the next presidential 
election...." 
 
Corbin