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DE RUEHDM #0639/01 1780431
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FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3758
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6907
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4606
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3256
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7746
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RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7486

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000639 
 
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:  Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria/Iran, 
Syria/Europe, Syria/Italy (6/22-25) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on June 25 reported the car bomb that 
killed six UNIFIL peacekeepers from a Spanish contingent patrolling 
a road in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on June 24, the 
first such attack on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon since it was 
reinforced last summer after the 34-day war between Israel and 
Hizbollah.  All papers featured FM Mouallem's phone call to Spanish 
FM Moratinos condemning the crime, expressing his condol 
ences for 
the families of the victims and sending his best wishes to the 
injured for a quick recovery.  Independent daily Al-Watan pointed 
out that Lebanese Forces Leader Samir Geagea had warned earlier 
against targeting UNIFIL troops, implying he may have had a hand in 
the attack. 
 
As for developments in the Palestinian arena, papers on June 25 
reported FM Mouallem's meeting on June 24 with Abbas Zaki, envoy of 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in which Mouallem reiterated 
the importance of stopping the current deterioration in the 
Palestinian territories and urging Palestinians to resort to 
dialogue to solve the crisis. 
 
Papers on June 25 also reported FM Mouallem's meeting on June 24 
with Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister Mohammad Reza Baqiri 
focusing on regional developments, mainly in Lebanon, Iraq and the 
occupied territories. 
 
Government-owned Al-Thawra, the only paper to appear on June 22, 
reported President Asad's meeting on June 21 with Caspar Einem, 
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Austrian 
Parliament.  The meeting touched on the current situation in the 
region, particularly in Iraq, the occupied Palestinian territories 
and Lebanon, and on Syria's stances regarding regional issues. 
 
On Syrian-Italian relations, papers on June 25 reported Speaker of 
the People's Assembly Mahmoud al-Abrash's meeting on June 24 with 
Lamberto Dini, Chairman of the Italian Senate Foreign Relations and 
Expatriates Committee.  Talks dealt with the situation in the region 
and the Arab-Israeli conflict, in addition to the Italian role in 
supporting the Syrian-European Association Agreement. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Eight Spanish troops of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 
killed and wounded in al-Khiam valley.  Syria denounces the action. 
Foreign Minister Mouallem calls Spanish FM Moratinos:  We consider 
this act a criminal act that aims to destabilize South Lebanon. 
Hizbollah condemns the act" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/25) 
 
"President Lahoud:  Suspicious schemes to tamper with Lebanon's 
security" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/25) 
 
"Intermittent clashes in Nahr al-Bared.  The Lebanese Army 
liquidates a sleeping cell in Abi Samra" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
6/25) 
 
"Vice President Shara confers with Abbas Zaki, special envoy of 
Palestinian President, and with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister 
Mohammad Reza Baqiri.  Talks focus on means to overcome the current 
Palestinian crisis.  Zaki:  Syria has an accurate reading of the 
Palestinian case" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/25) 
 
"Al-Abrash, Speaker of the People's Assembly, confers with an 
Italian parliamentary delegation and Deputy President of the 
European Parliament.  Dini:   Occupation is the source of the 
problems in the region.  Information Minister Bilal:  Syria believes 
in dialogue as the best means for understanding and finding an 
atmosphere for peace and stability. 
 
"One Palestinian martyred, 4 wounded in an Israeli raid on Gaza. 
Palestinian PM Haniyeh warns against Israeli blackmail, renews 
commitment to the Mecca Accord and confirms that the main battle is 
with the Israeli occupation" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/25) 
 
"Events in Nahr al-Bared still enflamed.  US Ambassador Feltman 
foils the Arab initiative. President Lahoud will not turn authority 
 
over to the governing team and preserves his constitutional options" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/24) 
 
"Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh calls for dialogue.  Head of the 
Palestinian Authority Abbas heads to Jordan before Sharm al-Sheikh. 
 
Israel exploits its aid to the Authority to promote discord" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 6/24) 
"The situation in Nahr al-Bared heads towards a decisive end.  The 
Lebanese opposition:  The governing team has foiled Arab mediation. 
Hizbollah SecGen Nasrallah to Arab League SecGen Mousa:  We demand 
partnership on basis of volume of representation.  Mousa:  We 
offered constructive suggestions and we will return as we receive 
positive signs" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/23) 
 
"Lebanese MP Zo'eter:  The team in authority is driving Lebanon 
towards the unknown" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/23) 
 
"Four demonstrators wounded in the Bel'in demonstration denouncing 
the separation wall.  Israel unveils its intentions towards 
Palestinian Leader Abbas during the Quartet meeting" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 6/23) 
 
"US President Bush at the bottom of the least popular presidents 
list" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/23) 
 
"President Asad meets Austrian delegation:  Europe's role is 
important and effective in solving issues of the region.  Einem, 
Head of the Austrian Parliament Foreign Relations Committee, 
describes his talks in Damascus as fruitful and very useful" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/22) 
 
"A new bloody day for Americans in Iraq:  8 soldiers killed, raising 
the death toll to 3554" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/24) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
----------------- 
 
"Late Awakening" 
 
----------------- 
 
Marwan Qabalan, an editorialist in independent al-Watan, wrote 
(6/24):  "Egypt's pan-Arab role has greatly declined after the 
signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in the late 
seventies.... Egypt regained a proportional  role in the nineties 
but the past five years have seen an unprecedented decline in 
Cairo's Arab and regional role, which did not go beyond what was 
happening in Gaza.... 
 
"Last week we saw a sudden Egyptian awakening.  Cairo, through its 
foreign minister, discovered that what happened in Gaza threatens 
Egyptian national security because Gaza is a stone's throw away from 
Egypt.  Likewise, the Iranian role in Iraq threatens Arab and 
Egyptian security.... Recent statements by the Egyptian foreign 
minister have come as a real surprise to the Arab media and 
political circles, for they suggested that Egypt still thinks of 
Arab national security and sees itself as part of it, as if 
everything that has happened in the past five years was not linked 
to the security of Egypt and its Arab environment...." 
 
------------------ 
 
"Blair's Quartet" 
 
------------------ 
 
Maha Sultan, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(6/24):  "The appointment of Tony Blair as an envoy of the 
International Quartet would only render this international body less 
effective.... 
 
"Blair's positions toward Arab issues, such as his participation in 
the Iraq war and his strong opposition to a cease-fire during 
Israel's aggression on Lebanon last summer, made Blair unpopular in 
 
 
the region. 
 
"How, then, could he be a special envoy to the region for 
negotiations to achieve peace there...?  How could Palestinian and 
Arab parties that know his biased positions sit with him at one 
table?  How could these parties trust his proposals when they know 
full well that he is more of an American-Israeli envoy than a 
spokesman for the international community...? 
 
"The US Administration's desire to give Blair this job is part of 
the American efforts to serve Israel's interests at the expense of 
Arab rights...." 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
"Least Popular, Stupidest President" 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
Muhyi-al-Din al-Muhammad, a columnist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (6/24):  "No one in the United States or abroad was surprised 
that President Bush's popularity rating, as shown by a recent 
Newsweek poll, has dropped to 26 percent.... 
 
"This is a natural result of reckless policies that Bush and his 
extremist administration have pursued.... These policies, which have 
relied on aggression, occupation, and preemptive strikes, have 
reflected negatively on the United States' reputation, economy, and 
the lives of its soldiers without fulfilling any of the attractive 
promises that Bush has made since he declared his war on so-called 
terrorism.... 
 
"The United States and the rest of the world are facing the 
challenge of how to deal with the stupidest and least popular 
American president during the remaining year and a half of his term 
in office.... There is a glimpse of hope in the opposition to 
President Bush's policies by Democrats and some Republicans.....  We 
wonder how some Arabs are still attached to Bush's policies, 
promises, and plans, as if he were the wise man of his age!" 
 
---------------------- 
 
"Reshuffling of Cards" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned al-Thawra, 
wrote (6/22):  "Syria's position toward Palestinian developments was 
expressed by Vice President Shara to foreign correspondents.... He 
stated it very clearly: 'We will not support one party against the 
other....' 
 
"Syria, which does not absolve any of the parties, believes that 
dialogue is the only way to solve the problem.... What happened in 
the Palestinian territories was part of the sedition plan in the 
region.... It is painful that Arabs are not doing anything to stop 
it.... This is a serious and worrying Arab situation, and we have to 
reexamine the inclinations of those who want to absolve Israel of 
Arab blood.... Syria warns against the grave repercussions of this 
Arab situation, where, as Shara said, we are witnessing an 
unprecedented reshuffling of cards...." 
 
--------------- 
 
"The Big Trick" 
 
--------------- 
 
Isam Dari, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishreen, wrote (6/23): 
"Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that US President Bush 
wants a Palestinian state to emerge before the end of his term in 
office.... 
 
"Olmert did not explain to us and the rest of the world how this 
objective can be accomplished within this short period when it has 
not been accomplished over 15 years.... 
 
 
"Neither Olmert nor Bush told us what shape this state will take.... 
Will Jerusalem be its capital or Israel's unified and eternal 
capital...?  What about the Palestinian right of return...? Will the 
Western world recognize the democratic choices of the Palestinian 
people? 
 
"What Mr. Bu 
sh offers cannot fulfill the Palestinian people's 
national ambitions and aspirations.... The US Administration thinks 
of a demilitarized non-sovereign mini-state fulfilling Israel's 
ambitions and biblical dream." 
 
"It would be a big tragedy to believe the Bush-Olmert lie.  But the 
bigger tragedy would be to promote this lie, absolve the killer, and 
contribute to the satanic plan by delivering to Israel and the 
United States some of the Palestinian people as terrorists and 
handing them the entire Palestinian cause and all its rights in 
return for a serious lie they called 'the Palestinian state'...." 
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"We Will Not Close Our Border" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Ahmad Dawwa, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(6/22):  "Vice President Shara said that Syria will not close its 
border with Lebanon, although some Lebanese politicians are working 
day and night to create the climate for such a step against the will 
of the Lebanese people.... Many Lebanese politicians will not allow 
this to happen because they stick to Lebanon's genuine interest and 
realize the importance of relations with Syria.... 
 
"Syria can never take a step harmful to any Arab country, let alone 
Lebanon, where any harm to the country affects Syria as well.  This 
is why VP Shara stressed that it is impossible to reach a point 
where Syrian-Lebanese relations are beyond repair." 
 
Corbin