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O 121258Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3682
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6875
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4582
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3227
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7723
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RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7466

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000588 
 
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/Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Iran 
(6/12) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on June 12 reported a meeting by the 
Central Leadership of the National Progressive Front (NPF) on June 
¶11.  The Leadership stressed Syria's firm position toward the issue 
of peace with Israel, describing the current peace proposals to 
Syria as "contradictory and not serious."   The Leadership also 
reviewed the situation in Lebanon and reiterated Syria's position on 
the need to maintain the unity of the Lebanese people and territory 
and achieve national accord in the country. The Leadership discussed 
the current Israeli assaults against the Palestinian people and 
stressed the need to preserve and strengthen Palestinian national 
unity. The Leadership also discussed the situation in Iraq and 
stressed the need to maintain the unity of the Iraqi people and land 
and end the occupation, which gravely endangers this unity. 
 
On Syrian/Lebanese relations, papers reported Minister of 
Information Bilal's meeting on June 11 with a delegation from the 
Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon headed by Secretary 
General Ali Qansoh.  They discussed recent regional developments and 
the challenges facing the Arab nation, in addition to the role of 
media in countering campaigns of delusion and distortion.  Bilal 
confirmed that Syria is dedicated to ensuring Lebanon's stability, 
and that it supports what the Lebanese people agree upon under the 
constitution and free from foreign interference.  Qansoh praised 
Syria's position in support of Lebanon and its important regional 
role. 
 
Papers also featured President Lahoud's meeting with a delegation 
representing the Lebanese Democratic Party in which he expressed 
confidence that Lebanon will emerge victorious in spite of the 
pressures that aim at subjugating it to foreign plots.  Lahoud said 
that "the Lebanese people are sticking to their rights, and the 
international pressures will fail because Lebanon has defeated 
Israel twice when it stuck to its rights."  He called for speeding 
up the formation of a national unity government in order to deal 
with pending issues, the most important of which is a parliamentary 
elections law that makes all the Lebanese people equal.  On the 
events at Nahr al-Bared Camp, Lahoud stressed that everyone who 
attacked the army must be handed over to the judiciary. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"The Central Leadership of the National Progressive Front discusses 
the current political situation: Syria's position on peace is 
constant... Israeli peace proposals are contradictory and not 
serious" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/12) 
 
"Information Minister Bilal discusses the current situation in the 
region and the role of the media in confronting campaigns of 
deception with a delegation from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party 
in Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/12) 
 
"Fierce clashes continue in Nahr al-Bared.  Five fighters from Fateh 
al-Islam killed.  The Lebanese army demolishes Al-Absi's 
headquarters.  Aoun:  Civilians are a red line... We are in 
agreement with Hizbollah" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/12) 
 
"Lahoud warns against the conspiracy of settling Palestinian 
refugees in Lebanon to abort the Palestinian right of return, and 
against exhausting the Lebanese army" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
6/12) 
 
"Militiamen target Palestinian PM Hanieh's house.  Scores of 
Palestinians killed and injured in renewed clashes between Fateh and 
Hamas" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/12) 
 
"British PM Designate Brown in Baghdad turns Blair's page and paves 
the way for pullout from Iraq.  The Pentagon modifies the Baghdad 
security plan:  A new strategy to enlist Al-Qaeda dissident 
fighters" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/12) 
 
"The EU grants four million Euros of aid to the Palestinian 
Authority.  The first national US demonstration in Washington 
calling for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian 
Territories" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/12) 
 
 
"Kuwait will not allow US military to attack Iran from its 
territory.  Al-Baradei calls for adopting dialogue to solve the 
nuclear crisis" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/12) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
"Where Is Olmert's Seriousness about Peace?" 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
Ahmad Sawwan, a columnist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(6/12):  "Israeli PM Olmert said:  I realize that any peace 
agreement with Syria will force me to return the Golan Heights to 
Syrian sovereignty, and I am ready to shoulder my responsibilities 
to establish peace between us....' 
 
"Is it true that Israel is ready and qualified to resume the 
negotiations and revive the peace process? And is it true that 
Olmert can captain the peace ship on the Israeli side...? 
 
"Olmert is coming under strong criticism over his failed policy and 
because of his defeat at the hands of the Lebanese national 
resistance in the surprise aggression of July 2006.  He is also 
facing splits and cracks within his Qadima Party and in his 
alliances with the parties in his coalition government. He is the 
prime minister with the lowest popularity rating in six decades.... 
 
"Because of all this, Olmert has found nothing better to do than 
occasionally play the tune of the Syrian track.  He believes that 
promoting ideas and proposals for peace with Syria might help him 
win some support and gain some power.  This means that the 
credibility and seriousness of his talk about peace with Syria are 
in doubt.  Syria has always been ready for revival and reactivation 
of the peace process from where it left off.... 
 
"So the worn-out Israeli tune about 'direct or indirect' secret 
negotiations is fabricated by Israel, and sometimes by the United 
States, or by both of them, to suggest that there is a deal on 
peace.  Syria totally rejects this because peace does not need deals 
as much as it needs courageous political will...." 
 
----------------------------- 
 
"Olmert and Peace with Syria" 
 
----------------------------- 
 
Khurshid Dalli, an editorialist in independent al-Watan, said 
(6/12):  "Israel is talking about peace with Syria in an attempt to 
make some strategic gains, such as distancing Damascus from Tehran, 
Hizbollah, and HAMAS and obtaining military political, and financial 
support from the United States.... 
 
"Israel is not willing to abandon the entire Golan, and Olmert, 
through the talk about peace or war with Syria, is trying to ease 
his government crisis.... Olmert, after the failure of the 
aggression on Lebanon, realizes that the war option is very costly, 
especially in light of reports that Syria has a formidable missile 
capability for both deterrence and assault...." 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
"This Is Why Syria Resisted and Triumphed" 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (6/12):  "Americans and Israelis used all their capabilities 
and agents in the anti-Syria campaign of pressure, provocation, 
threats, and fabrications in the past four years.  But Syria 
succeeded in the confrontation and forced its attackers to 
reconsider their plans, as indeed happened when the Bush 
administration began to reconsider its calculations toward Syria and 
 
to request dialogue with it over the issues of the region.... 
 
"Syria's enemies discovered Syria's immunity and its important Arab 
and regional role.... Syria, which is the victim of aggression and 
which has a dear part of its territory under occupation, has always 
considered all possibilities and prepared for all developments. For 
it accurately knew the methods of its Israeli enemy and its ability 
to influence American decisions.  This is why, perhaps, Syria was 
not surprised by the campaign of pressure and fabrications it came 
under, especially as it realized that the American invasion of Iraq 
was ultimately more of an Israeli decision than an American 
decision.  This is why Syria resisted and triumphed. 
 
"The US plans against Syria in Lebanon also failed, especially with 
the defeat of the Israeli army in Lebanon.... Americans apparently 
became convinced, without announcing it, that Syria cannot be 
transcended, no matter what the pressure, and that they must return 
to it, which they unwillingly did...." 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
"US Fingerprints behind the Crisis in 
Nahr al-Bared Refugee Camp" 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
Walid Muhammad, a commentator in government-owned   al-Ba'th, wrote 
(6/12):  "The current escalation in Lebanon is not only a result of 
the domestic Lebanese bickering, but also a link in a plan concocted 
in the corridors of the American intelligence establishment, with 
the participation of regional circles and local Lebanese power 
centers, to impose American hegemony on the region and promote the 
culture of defeat at the expense of the resistance plan and the 
culture of steadfastness and opposition.... 
 
"The pro-government forces in Lebanon, at the request of the 
Americans, pushed the Lebanese Army, which is known for its 
nationalist doctrine and honorable mission of defending Lebanon 
alongside the national resistance against Israeli aggression, into a 
battle that is not its battle.... 
 
"Just as the United States and its allies and tools in Lebanon seek 
to politicize the al-Hariri assassination, one of the objectives of 
the Nahr    al-Bared crisis today -- an objective that is known to 
everyone -- is to create new justifications for movement to other 
steps, including the disarming of the heroic resistance and the 
creation of the appropriate atmosphere for the settlement of 
Palestinian refugees...." 
 
------------------------ 
 
"An Excuse for Hegemony" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Muhammad Khair al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (6/12):  "The US claims that the Iranian threat is 
the reason behind the plan to deploy the missile shield in Eastern 
Europe.... 
 
"Iran is not powerful enough to threaten Europe.... The term, 
'Iranian threat,' that the US Administration has used to market its 
new military program in Eastern Europe and directly on the borders 
with Russia, is only a new US excuse to cover up the policy of 
hegemony and strategic influence that the United States is pursuing 
in the world.... 
 
"Now that the United States has failed strategically in the Middle 
East, with its plans bringing upon it difficult predicaments and 
chronic crises, it has chosen the missile shield program in Eastern 
Europe as an excuse to compensate for its major failure.  But the 
strong Russian opposition to this plan and the popular rejection of 
it in Poland, the Czech Republic, and other European countries will 
render the plan a failure, just like all other plans and excuses for 
hegemony...." 
 
Roebuck