VZCZCXYZ0030
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0694/01 1901333
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091333Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3832
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6936
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4631
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3282
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7766
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1861
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5185
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1396
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7507

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000694 
 
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:  Mousa, Bilal, Aboul Gheit, Lebanon, Palestinian 
Territories, Iraq, Bush (7/9) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on July 9 reported the July 8 arrival in 
Damascus from Riyadh of Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa, for 
a two-day official visit to Syria.  Mousa will meet with senior 
Syrian officials about the latest developments in Lebanon.  He will 
discuss the Lebanese crisis with Syrian President Asad and brief him 
on efforts of the Arab League to find a solution. 
 
Papers also featured an interview with Minister of Information 
Mohsen Bilal on al-Jazeera TV on July 8.  Bilal stressed Syria's 
commitment to a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees the 
return of the occupied Syrian Golan, Shebaa farms, and the hills of 
Kfar Shoba, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state 
with Jerusalem as its capital, and the Palestinian refugees' right 
of return.  He said that "Syria stands by Lebanon's interest, unity 
and national accord,"  and asserted the necessity of dialogue among 
the Lebanese people and formation of a national unity government. 
"Syria helps Lebanon and supports the brotherly Lebanese people with 
whom we share strong ties and national and pan-Arab relations," he 
said.  He added that "the visit of Arab League Secretary General 
Mousa to Syria aims to discuss the situations in the Arab arena, 
particularly in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq."  On relations with 
France and Britain, Dr. Bilal expressed hope that the upcoming 
period will witness positive developments. 
 
On Syrian-Egyptian relations, papers cited an interview with 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit published in Egyptian 
daily Algomhoria on    July 8, describing Syrian-Egyptian relations 
as "deep," and confirming that both countries are continuing 
consultations regarding issues of the Middle East.  Aboul Gheit 
hailed cordial and continuing dialogue between Syria and Egypt.  He 
called on all Palestinian parties to work for national 
reconciliation and conduct a dialogue on all disputes.  He expressed 
his country's desire to build relations with Iran on a solid basis. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Arab League Secretary General Mousa arrives in Damascus to hold 
talks on latest developments in the region" (Government-owned 
Al-Thawra, 7/8) 
 
"Bilal:  Mousa will discuss developments in Palestine, Lebanon and 
Iraq" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 7/8) 
 
"Information Minister Dr. Bilal:  Syria stands by Lebanon's unity 
and calls for dialogue among its citizens" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 7/9) 
 
"Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul-Gheit:  Our relations with Syria 
are friendly and our consultations are continuing" (Government-owned 
Al-Ba'th, 7/9) 
 
"Speaker of Lebanese Parliament Berri:  We will not permit Lebanon 
to be turned into an arena for settling scores.  Lebanese circles 
describe US Ambassador in Beirut as babysitter" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 7/9) 
 
"The Olmert government initially agrees to release 250  Fateh 
prisoners while it ignores 10,500 Palestinians in Israeli jails" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 7/9) 
 
"US President Bush witnesses a difficult week at the Congress. 
Death toll of US soldiers reached 28 in July" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 7/9) 
 
"Egyptian Foreign Ministry warns Egyptians not to sneak into Syria" 
(Independent al-Watan, 7/9) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------------ 
 
"Take the Wisdom from Feltman" 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
Muhyi-al-Din al-Muhammad, a commentator in government-owned 
Tishreen, wrote (7/9):  "US Ambassador in Beirut Feltman made an 
insolent remark when he said that Hizbollah is a terrorist 
organization posing a threat to the region. 
 
"US officials reject every form of resistance against their plans, 
occupations, and hostile policies.  They reject every form of 
resistance against Israel, which occupies Arab lands in the West 
Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan, and south Lebanon, and which 
disregards the Security Council resolutions that have for four 
decades been calling for withdrawal from those occupied 
territories. 
 
"Israel has been practicing state terrorism since its establishment, 
while Hizbollah directed its weapons only against the occupier and 
managed to smash Israel's arrogance...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
"Repercussions of the Gaza Events;  Present and 
Future Threat to The Palestinian Cause" 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
Dr. Sayyah Azzam, a columnist in government-owned   Al-Ba'th, wrote 
(7/9):  "The United States and Israel planned the bloody fighting in 
Gaza between Fateh and HAMAS.... Palestinian divisions help Israel 
overcome the difficult situation it has been experiencing since its 
defeat in the Lebanon war and provide it with an opportunity to 
continue its repression of the Palestinian people and its usurpation 
of their land and rights.... 
 
"Palestinians must realize the enormous threats that the Gaza events 
pose to their present and future.... 
 
"The Israeli steps, like the release of some funds to the government 
in Ramallah, are only meant to deepen the division among 
Palestinians...." 
 
---------------------------- 
 
"Realization and Precaution" 
 
---------------------------- 
 
Maha Sultan, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(7/9):  "The Republican opposition to President Bush's Iraq policy 
is widening.... This is a result of the realization that the 
September evaluation of the progress in Bush's strategy in Iraq will 
not be positive, no matter what plastic surgeries Bush and his team 
may perform on it.... 
 
"With the presidential election at the doorstep, Republicans, 
especially the prominent figures, want to distance themselves from 
Bush.... 
 
"So this is not a realization of the extent of damage and 
destruction that Bush's policies have caused to Iraq and the Iraqis, 
but an attempt to evade damage to their electoral chances...." 
 
Corbin