VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0520/01 1501404
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301404Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3576
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6836
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4552
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3190
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7695
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1776
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5111
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1314
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7438

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000520 
 
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:  Presidential Referendum, Syria/UK, Lebanon, Iraq, 
Palestinian Territories (5/29) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on May 29 reported Vice President 
Shara's meeting on May 28 with former Archbishop Hilarion Capucci in 
which they discussed the regional situation and the international 
community's disregard of the oppression of the 
 Palestinians under 
Israel's abusive practices.  Shara expressed Syria's appreciation of 
Capucci's courageous patriotic and humane stances. For his part, 
Capucci expressed his joy at visiting Syria as it experiences the 
festivities of renewing President Asad's constitutional term, and 
stated his pride in Syrian national unity and the spirit of 
coexistence and tolerance of its people. 
 
Papers also reported that a large British Parliamentary delegation 
visited Damascus. A group headed by MP Richard Spring met with FM 
Mouallem on May 28. Mouallem briefed them on the latest developments 
in the Middle East including in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon. 
Mouallem reiterated the importance Israel withdrawing from the 
occupied Arab lands, including the Syrian Golan, and the importance 
of implementing relevant UN resolutions.  As for Iraq, the Foreign 
Minister pointed to the discussions held during the Sharm el-Sheikh 
Summit and the goals that must be achieved to realize a political 
solution in Iraq. Regarding the situation in Lebanon, Mouallem 
underlined the importance of having Lebanese consensus on all issues 
facing Lebanon in a manner that achieves security and stability.  He 
also warned against imposing choices upon Lebanon that could 
increase division in the Lebanese society. 
 
Also on May 28, VP Attar met with another group of British 
Parliamentary members headed by Labor Party MP John Grogan.  Attar 
pointed out that it is necessary for the world to understand the 
true situation in the Middle East and work to guarantee everyone's 
rights. He also praised the role of the British-Syrian Association 
in enhancing communication between the Syrian and British peoples. 
Answering the group's questions on the situation in Iraq, al-Attar 
stated that the US occupation there created a fertile ground for 
terrorism and caused difficult humanitarian situations. He also 
pointed out that the solution for the situation in the Middle East 
lies in changing US policy and strategy, something that Europe can 
have a part in achieving. 
 
Articles, reports, and official statements published in the 
newspapers today portray the May 27 referendum on the nomination of 
President Asad for a new 7-year term in office and the reportedly 
"heavy" voter turnout at home and abroad as a message to the world 
that the Syrian people fully support their president and his 
domestic and foreign policies. 
 
Government-owned Al-Ba'th and independent al-Watan featured a story 
by US journalist and academic Franklin Lamb who entered the Naher 
el-Bared refugee camp in disguise and carried out an investigation 
with people of the camp.  The article was published on May 26 by a 
US website bulletin called "Counter Punch"  and shed light on the 
involvement of the governing team in Lebanon in financing the Fateh 
al-Islam group to achieve its goals, namely to blame Syria and 
Al-Qaeda this group's actions. 
 
Ziyad Haydar a commentator in independent al-Watan, offered a Syrian 
reading of the developments in north Lebanon, noting that Syria is 
concerned about the Lebanese army as it sees attempts to weaken and 
divide it. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Results of the presidential referendum will be announced today. 
Arab and international figures:  Syrians rallying behind President 
Asad is an important message to the world on rejecting hegemony" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/29) 
 
"Vice President Farouk Shara discusses Palestinian developments with 
former Metropolitan of Jerusalem Archbishop Hilarion Capucci. 
Capucci:  We are proud of Syria's national unity" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 5/29) 
 
"Vice President Attar and Foreign Minister Mouallem review latest 
regional developments with a British Parliamentary Delegation. 
 
Members of the delegation stress Syria's pivotal role in achieving 
peace and stability in the Middle East, affirming that there can be 
no peace without Syria" (Government-owned    Al-Thawra, 5/29) 
 
"Intermittent clashes in the neighborhood of Nahr el-Barid.  No 
solution in the hori 
zon. The Opposition:  Who started shooting at 
the Lebanese army seeks to drag the army into a war of camps" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/29) 
 
"Franklin Lamb:  Financial disputes detonated the Nahr 
Nahr al-Barid incidents.  Al-Mostaqbal Block finances the Jund 
al-Sham and Fath al-Islam groups" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/29) 
 
"First US-Iranian talks since 27 years; Crocker: The Baghdad meeting 
was positive. Iranian envoy Kazemi: The meeting is a first step" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/29) 
 
"Two Palestinians injured in an Israeli assault in Gaza.  An Israeli 
incursion into Jericho.  An Israeli minister:  A comprehensive 
ceasefire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is dangerous for 
Israel" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/29) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
"Syrian Reading of North Lebanon Developments: Questions need 
Answers and Fears about the Lebanese Army" 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
Ziyad Haydar, a commentator in independent al-Watan, wrote (5/29): 
"The incidents at the Nahr al-Barid camp in Tripoli are a source of 
concern for Damascus, especially since Lebanon's security remains 
central for Syria's security.... 
 
"The Tripoli incidents were given the required analysis and 
follow-up in light of their sensitivity, brutality, and similarity 
to the criminal methods that Al-Qa'ida Organization adopts, where 
bodies were mutilated and victims were slaughtered while they were 
asleep. 
 
"The conclusions were consistent with the psychological burdQ that 
the picture leaves, in terms of concern for Lebanon first and then 
for the Lebanese Army mainly.  The army is the most respected and 
solid establishment in Lebanon and it is close to Syria from a 
political perspective. The responsibilities that the army is 
shouldering, however, have become exhausting, even without the 
additional burden of the incidents in the north.  The army is now 
scattered along the northeastern border with Syria, the southern 
border with Israel, and the streets of the capital as a result of 
the political tension.  There is, therefore, concern that the army 
was deliberately dragged into these incidents, which the security 
forces started and left the army to complete.  There are elaborate 
questions about the nature of the relationship between the security 
forces, which are under the control of the ruling team, and the 
growth of an organization that emerged only a few months ago and 
that managed in a few-hour battle to inflict this amount of losses 
on the army of a country. 
 
"There are also no doubts about American journalist Seymour Hersh's 
revelations regarding the relationship between Arab countries and 
figures in the ruling team on the one hand and Fatah al-Islam on the 
other, especially in light of the growth in the organization's 
power.  It is possible, however, that the organization has indeed 
gone out of control, which dictates that it be dealt with seriously, 
leaving the army to shoulder this responsibility. 
 
"The concern stems from the fear that what happened might be a 
deliberate and planned attempt to weaken and divide the army by 
dragging it into a battle with a militia the results of which cannot 
possibly be in the Army's favor unless the Army resorts to 
destructive military intervention. Such intervention would cause 
painful humanitarian consequences for the Palestinians and open old 
wounds.  It would also turn the other Palestinian camps into 
volatile hotbeds threatening escalation.  Furthermore, it might lead 
 
to the dispersal of the leaders of the organization, like any other 
militia.  In this case, instability, which is confined to a limited 
area in the north, might spill all over Lebanon, specifically in the 
south.... 
 
"Some people believe that the timing is meant to tell the world not 
to hesit 
ate in taking any position toward Lebanon (as the case now 
with Qatar, Russia, China, and Indonesia) and to speed up the 
establishment of the tribunal under Chapter Seven without examining 
the consequences of such a step for Lebanon's civil peace, as this 
peace will be taken care of by local parties." 
 
--------------------------- 
 
"A Message from the People" 
 
--------------------------- 
 
Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (5/29):  "The Syrian people sent a message to all 
forces of evil, hatred, and conspiracy, a message that essentially 
says that Syria has one option; namely, this creative cohesion 
between the loyal people and the sincere leader and this solid 
adherence to the national and pan-Arab policy that President Asad is 
leading in defense of Syria's interests and the Arab nation's 
rights...." 
 
Corbin