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DE RUEHDM #0568/01 1621100
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O 111100Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3653
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6865
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4575
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3218
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RQH 7716
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1800
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5132
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1338
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7459

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000568 
 
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/Spain, Syria/Israel, Syria/Lebanon, Malaysia, Iraq, 
Palestinian Territories, Israel 
(6/8-10) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on June 8-9 reported the visit to Spain 
on June 7 by FM Mouallem, who conveyed an oral message from 
President Asad to King Juan Carlos of Spain on bilateral relations 
and current regional developments, particularly in Iraq, the 
occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon.  FM Mouallem met with 
Spanish FM Moratinos on June 8.  Talks dealt with the latest 
developments in the Middle East and means to achieve security and 
stability in the region. 
 
On developments in Lebanon, papers featured a statement by former 
Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh on June 8 that "Lebanon has 
a certain interest in establishing fraternal relations with Syria 
based on mutual respect," and called for consolidating 
Syrian-Lebanese ties by "direct dialogue," noting that the reasons 
behind the political crisis in Lebanon "are known and clear to all." 
 He added that "the real problem in Lebanon lies in the ruling 
party's rejection of national participation".  Papers also cited a 
statement by Sergey Pukin, Russian Ambassador in Beirut, on June 7 
that "Syria has no relation to what is going on in Nahr al-Bared 
Camp, north Lebanon".  Bukin criticized the accusations directed 
against Syria regarding this matter.  He called for national 
dialogue and consultations by Lebanese political parties to end the 
political crisis in the country as soon as possible. 
 
Papers on June 10 featured an article by Chandra Muzaffar, Malaysian 
intellectual and President of the International Movement for a Just 
World (JUST), published in the Malaysian newspaper "The New Street 
Times Press," on June 9, saying that Syria will not compromise the 
sovereignty and dignity of its citizens to placate superpowers and 
Israel.  Muzaffar said that Syria is one of the few Middle Eastern 
counties to adopt this principle that expresses the sentiments of 
its people.  He praised President Asad's depth of vision in handling 
regional issues and his awareness of the risks posed by the New 
Middle East project.  Muzaffar linked the anti-Syria campaign to 
Israel's interests and said that "Syria will not abandon the rights 
of the Palestinian people" and "will not relinquish its rights in 
the face of Israeli arrogance." 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"FM Mouallem and Spanish FM Moratinos conclude talks by stressing 
deep historic ties and strengthening of Syrian-Spanish coordination" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) 
 
"A message from President Asad to King Carlos of Spain conveyed by 
FM Mouallem" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/8) 
 
"Israel sends messages to Syria to explore Syria's intentions about 
peace.  Syria sends no answer" (Independent a-Watan, 6/10) 
 
"Malaysian intellectual:  The campaign against Syria is linked to 
Israeli interests" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/10) 
 
"Abraham Borg [former Head of Israeli Knesset]:  Israel is doomed to 
extinction" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/10) 
 
"The Lebanese army tightens siege on Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. 
Maronite patriarchs reiterate the importance of a national unity 
government and warn against a trap to settle Palestinian refugees" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/10) 
 
"The deteriorating security situation in Nahr al-Bared provokes 
Lebanese resentment:  Lebanese figures and MPs:  The governing team 
is bringing destruction to Lebanon" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) 
 
 
"Russia:  Syria has nothing to do with Nahr al-Bared events in 
Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/8) 
 
"The Palestinian resistance attacks an Israeli military base. 
Israeli occupation troops penetrate deep into the Gaza Strip" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 6/10) 
 
 
"The Pope calls upon Bush to work to find solutions to the crises in 
the region" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/10) 
 
"The G8 Summit reiterates commitment to a just peace in the region" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) 
 
"45 Iraqis are killed in various attacks and explosions in Iraq" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
"The War and Peace Debate in Israel" 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
Adnan Ali, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 6/7: 
"The ongoing Israeli debate on the possibilities of war and peace on 
the Syrian front shows great confusion on the part of Ehud Olmert's 
government, which is still reeling from the July war and the recent 
Winograd Commission report, which blamed the government for the loss 
of the war.... 
 
"The military leaders - some of whom have learned the lessons of the 
recent war in Lebanon - say it is in Israel's interest to conclude a 
peace agreement with Syria, even if the price is the return of the 
Golan in full.  They believe that peace with Syria without the Golan 
is better for Israel than the Golan without peace.... 
 
"Some politicians agree, but not all of them dare to make their true 
positions public because they do not want one-upmanship from the 
rightist forces or from their rivals, including the disoriented War 
Minister Amir Peretz, who is trying, with permanent failure, to 
combine his previous political positions that call for negotiations 
with the image of a firm, strong leader. 
 
"A few people still refuse to listen to the hallucinations of Ehud 
Olmert and his clique in the party and his other extremist partners 
about the need for Israel to keep the Golan forever.  These few 
people are not finding a chance to expand and impose themselves, not 
only because the domestic Israeli policy was intensely mobilized 
against peace in the past few years, but also because the guardians 
in Washington have not yet allowed Israel to deal seriously with the 
issue of peace, especially on the Syrian track, as part of the 
mistaken US policies and calculations in the region in general, 
policies and calculations that are essentially based on coercion, 
isolation, and subjugation. 
 
"The policies of the current Israeli government do not indicate that 
it is serious in its approach to the issue of peace.  Most of the 
analyses in Israel itself suggest that this government might turn to 
war and aggression against Syria, Lebanon, or the Gaza Strip in an 
attempt to reshuffle cards and evade the fall." 
 
------------------------ 
 
"A Positive Report, But" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Ahmad Hamadeh, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(6/8):  "It was useful and positive for Amnesty International to 
issue a report accusing Israel of plunging the Palestinian people 
into poverty and misery over the past decades... 
 
"How long will the four corners of the world continue to hear such 
reports without doing anything against Israel's crimes and organized 
terrorism...? 
 
"Is it enough for Amnesty International to criticize Israel's 
heinous crimes and for the International Criminal Court to determine 
that the racial segregation wall [in the West Bank] is illegitimate? 
Is it enough for the Security Council to call on Israel to withdraw 
from the territories it occupied in 1967...? 
 
 
 
"International human rights and political organizations must move 
beyond condemnation and denunciation.... The Security Council, which 
issues immediate resolutions against Iraq, Sudan, and others 
demanding that they be urgently implemented, must apply the same 
standards to Israel, which ignores all its resolutions and 
statements...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
"The US Dream, from the Region to the Missile Shield" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
Isam Dari, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishreen, wrote (6/9): 
"In Washington, Israeli VP Mofaz criticized the Iranians for 
ignoring Security Council resolutions and announced that Israel will 
discuss other options if the sanctions on Iran do not work.... 
 
"If Iranians are ignoring the Security Council resolutions, as Mofaz 
claims, is Israel not doing the same?  Don't the records of the 
Security Council include more than 40 resolutions condemning Israel 
and calling on it to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories 
'immediately'? 
 
"When Mofaz threatens Iran with military action, calls for blocking 
the Syrian-Lebanese border to prevent the smuggling of weapons to 
Hizbollah, and defends the policy of killing and terrorism against 
the Palestinian people, he forgets that he engages in political and 
media belligerence and raises a heavy stick in the face of a 
sovereign, major regional power.  He also forgets that while Iran is 
developing a peaceful nuclear program, Israel has a military nuclear 
program and at least 200 nuclear bombs.... 
 
"Mofaz is also behaving like a pirate and highway robber when he 
talks about blocking the Syrian-Lebanese border on the pretext that 
weapons are being smuggled to Hizbollah via this border.... Israeli 
leaders build their policies and positions on lies, deception, 
forgery of history, and distortion of facts. 
 
"But the bigger problem is that some superpowers adopt this Israeli 
nonsense, build their policies on its bases, and even use their 
military and political capabilities to implement the schemes of the 
Israeli terrorists and killers.... 
 
"The administration of the neoconservatives seeks a world that 
serves US interests, realizes the 'American dream,' and submits to 
the 'American century' plan.  So it is not strange that the Bush 
administration adopts the proposals of Tel Aviv leaders.  We do not 
transcend the boundaries of logic when we link what is happening in 
the region, from Iraq to Lebanon to Palestine, to the missile shield 
plan and to the economic and trade wars that the United States is 
waging against the world, including the superpowers. All these are 
links in a chain meant to tighten the noose around the neck of the 
world and its countries and peoples." 
 
--------------------- 
 
"When Borg Speaks Up" 
 
--------------------- 
 
Hanan Hamad, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(6/9):  "Tel Aviv, which complained to the United Nations about 
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad's statement on the start of 
the countdown for the removal of Israel, accepted or did not protest 
against similar statements by Abraham Borg, former Israeli Knesset 
speaker and former Jewish Agency president, in which he strongly 
criticized Israel's policies and warned that they will lead to the 
end of international Judaism.... 
 
"It is obvious that President Ahmadinezhad and Borg were describing 
Israel's points of weakness, each from his own perspective.  The 
Iranian president diagnosed the nature of the Israeli entity, which 
is based on usurpation, racism, and occupation -- characteristics 
 
 
that make it prone to collapse no matter how long it takes.  History 
provides evidence.  The blows of the resistance, the Palestinian 
people's determination to adhere to their land and to face the 
occupation even with bare chests, and the victory of the Lebanese 
resistance over the Israeli aggression in July, are undoubtedly 
powerful blows to the worn-out entity.  As for Borg, he expressed 
his fears for this entity and called for addressing the factors that 
are leading to its collapse and disappearance.  But both agreed on 
the same fact:  Israel has dug its grave with its own hands." 
 
ROEBUCK