VZCZCXYZ0013
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0782/01 2131302
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011302Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3959
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 7004
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4688
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3348
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7817
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1919
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5246
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1448
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7558

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000782 
 
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:  Syrian Army, Syria/Spain, Peace Process, Lebanon, Iraq, 
Palestinian Territories (8/1) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on August 1 featured a speech by 
President Asad marking the 62nd anniversary of the Syrian army's 
creation published July 31 in the military journal "Army of the 
People", in which he called for the return of the Golan Heights.  He 
said that the latest events in the region and their repercussions 
have proven that Syria couldn't be intimidated by pressure and 
threats, stressing that the homeland rights and peoples' interests 
are of top priority.  President Asad said "Syria insists on 
returning to the borders it had before June 4, 1967, when Israel 
occupied all of the Golan Heights during the Six Day War."  The 
Syrian president added that the liberation of our occupied land is a 
sacred duty and a right guaranteed by international law.  He added 
that "Our desire for peace does not mean that we have given up our 
rights."  President Asad hailed the soldiers and officers of the 
Syrian army who defend the homeland and sacrifice their lives for 
the sake of the nation's dignity and liberation.  He added that 
"Syria now is stronger than at any time in the past." 
 
Papers also reported that President Asad's meeting on July 31 with 
Spanish FM Moratinos who conveyed a letter from Spanish King Juan 
Carlos on relations between Spain and Syria.  Moratinos discussed 
the objectives of his current tour of the region.  Moratinos 
stressed Syria's important and vital role in the region and pointed 
out that Syria is part of the solution.  In a joint press conference 
with Spanish Miguel Angel Moratinos on July 31, Syrian Foreign 
Minister Walid Mouallem condemned as "dangerous" Washington's plan 
to sell arms packages to Gulf countries.  "He who wants to make 
peace does not start out with an arms initiative which is dangerous 
for the region," Mouallem said in reference to the US 
administration.  Mouallem also denounced the US decision to provide 
Israel with 25% increase in military aid, affirming that this just 
means that the US "is still building up its policy on the concept of 
the constructive chaos."  But he added that Syria still "seeks to 
achieve security and stability in the region."  Moratinos welcomed 
Syria's support for efforts by Spain and France to resolve the 
eight-month-old political crisis in Lebanon.  "I am pleased to have 
been informed of the very constructive position of the Syrian 
authorities," Moratinos said following a meeting with Syrian 
President Asad.  He said it was "good news" that Damascus was 
supporting efforts by the two European countries and the speaker of 
Lebanon's parliament, Nabih Berri, to resolve the crisis sparked by 
the resignation last November of six pro-Syrian ministers. "All the 
political forces and parties in Lebanon are trying to find a way out 
of the current impasse.  Parliament speaker Nabih Berri is trying to 
build a new platform for consensus in Lebanon," Moratinos said.  He 
added that he would continue to "coordinate" with his French 
counterpart Bernard Kouchner to try to get a result before Lebanon's 
parliament is due to elect a new president in September. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Assad addresses the armed forces: You must be ready at 
all times for every sacrifice until victory in achieved.  Syria does 
not succumb to pressures, cannot be intimidated by threats, and 
cannot be lured by temptations.  We are today stronger than any time 
before.  The door is open to all possibilities and this necessitates 
alertness" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 8/1) 
 
"President Asad receives a letter from Spanish King.  Moratinos: 
Syria and Spain have always supported an international peace 
conference.  Mouallem:  He who seeks peace does not initiate an arms 
race" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 8/1) 
 
"Rice and Gates in the region with a crowded schedule: 'New Iraq', 
anti-Syria/Iran Front, and a military-oriented peace conference" 
(Independent al-Watan, 8/1) 
 
"Damascus denounces and Iran criticizes US arms sales to Saudi 
Arabia and the Gulf states; Berlin believes that these sales 
contradict Washington's political rhetoric" (Independent al-Watan, 
8/1) 
 
"Abbas confirms to Putin his opposition to having dialogue with 
Hamas unless it apologizes" (Independent al-Watan, 8/1) 
 
 
"Russian efforts to unite Palestinians" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
8/1) 
 
"Iraqi President Talabani mediates efforts to reach government 
reconciliation.  A US marine was killed and an apache helicopter was 
downed in Baghdad" (Government-owned Tishreen, 8/1) 
"The governing team foils Nabih Berri's initiative to solve the 
Lebanese crisis before the eyes of Kouchner and Moratinos" 
(Independent al-Watan, 8/1) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
-------------------- 
 
"Rotten Goods" 
 
-------------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(8/1):  "Once again the US Administration is trying to delude us 
into thinking that it is working for peace in the region and that 
the mission of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of 
Defense Robert Gates in their current tour of the region falls 
within the framework of President Bush's commitment to what he has 
been promising since he came to office.... 
 
"...It is very obvious that they want the Arabs to fall into a new 
trap under the guise of peace.  The aim is to normalize relations 
with Israel.  This is what Israel clearly said when the Arab peace 
plan was recently presented to it. 
 
"From this premise, Rice and Gates will promote a normalization 
meeting and a public relations parley, not an international peace 
conference. They will seek to fulfill the Israeli wishes and 
objectives before anything else.  The region will then enter into 
secondary and marginal debates without any headway on the most 
important issue; namely, the Israeli occupation and the future of 
the Palestinian people, and on the number of square meters that 
Israel can 'give up' for the sake of 'peace'. 
 
"It is really regrettable that some [Arabs] support this 
American-Israeli inclination, justifying this by saying this is all 
that can be done.  They call for believing an administration that 
has lost its political and ethical credibility, an administration 
whose only concern is to achieve what makes Israel comfortable, 
supports its arrogance and defiance of the international law and the 
UN resolutions, perpetuates the current Palestinian divisions, and 
drives the Arabs to give in and accept the Israeli status quo in 
everything. 
 
"In this new mission Rice and Gates will market nothing but the same 
rotten goods that our region experienced over the past six years, 
goods that are unmarketable and that find no one to buy or even to 
take for free." 
 
------------------------ 
 
"Welcoming Illusions!" 
 
------------------------ 
 
As'ad Abbud, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(8/1):  "Since President Bush announced that he would call for a 
peace conference on the Middle East to be held in the fall this 
year, many politicians and analysts have been raising more and more 
questions.  The announcement was not coupled with any step to make 
people feel that the call was serious and that there was indeed an 
intention to move toward peace.  The announcement appeared 
insignificant, without any momentum indicating an American desire 
for peace that could reach the point of applying pressure on 
Israel. 
 
"The matter lacks much clarity and indeed requires waiting.  It is 
legitimate for every human to welcome peace, but the verbal welcome 
 
might cause another harsh case of frustration if the American call 
proves more of a futile public relations exercise. 
 
"Moreover, President Bush's announcement might entail inclinations 
that are not only without results but also with negative results, 
such as the attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause given the 
inappropriate prevailing situation or to put the 
 cart before the 
horse in search for normalization with Israel before peace or 
without peace.  Given the bitter experience of the Middle East peace 
plan with American sponsorship, and given the strong bias toward 
Israel by President Bush and his administration, it was natural for 
this announcement, which came late -- in the seventh and penultimate 
year of President Bush's presidency -- to be met with reservation. 
Welcoming peace does not mean welcoming any talk about peace; it 
means welcoming any words or deeds seeking a just and comprehensive 
peace in the region based on the legitimacy of the land-for-peace 
principle. 
 
"What are they [Arab Foreign Ministers] welcoming: A new illusion, 
or 'classified' ads?  They do not know what they are welcoming!  To 
this date, at least, no one knows the truth, substance, and essence 
of Bush's initiative, which the White House itself rushed, less than 
24 hours after its announcement, to say that 'we must not count much 
on it.'" 
 
------------------------ 
 
"Signals of Hot Seasons" 
 
------------------------ 
 
Ali Qasim, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (8/1): 
 "When the United States sends its secretaries of state and defense 
together to the region, it means that the American agenda goes 
beyond the declared objectives, and the peace process alone cannot 
be the driving force behind this sudden interest and on this 
level.... 
 
"Both secretaries will work to redistribute the required roles based 
on a new agenda since the old agenda that Rice used to distribute in 
the past has failed.  The fact that the defense secretary is 
accompanying her necessarily means that the new agenda has a 
military part that is no less important than the political part.... 
 
"The new agenda is linked with the announcement about new US 
military supplies for some of countries in the region.... Americans 
feel that time is running out and they, therefore, are playing their 
last card in the region....  The next few months, therefore, appear 
full of extremely dangerous developments...." 
 
Corbin