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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0824/01 2261254
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141254Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4024
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 7035
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4717
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3381
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7846
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1950
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5278
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1475
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7570

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000824 
 
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/India, Britain, Italy, Lebanon, Iraq, Peace 
Conference (8/14) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on August 14 reported the visit to India 
by FM Mouallem on August 13.  Mouallem conferred with Indian Prime 
Minister Manmohan Singh who praised President Asad saying that 
"Syria has achieved remarkable progress (which) showed wisdom in 
dealing with the developments of the region." Singh's talks with FM 
Mouallem touched upon bilateral relations and regional issues, 
particularly in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.  FM Mouallem also held 
official talks with his Indian FM Pranab Mokherjee on bilateral 
relations between Syria and India and means of enhancing them in the 
interest of both countries. The two ministers also discussed the 
latest developments in the Middle East and Indian Peninsula. FM 
Mouallem briefed his Indian counterpart on what he called the 
positive Syrian role to achieve security and stability in the region 
through urging Palestinians to return back to dialogue and form a 
national unity government, support concordance among the Lebanese 
and realize national reconciliation in Iraq. 
 
Papers also reported that Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has 
reiterated the importance of the role played by Syria in the Middle 
East under the leadership of President Asad.  In a speech on August 
13 to an international youth meeting on the international policy in 
the Italian city of Grosseto, Prodi said that "peace in the Middle 
East will not be achieved without the participation of Syria as part 
of the peace process."  "The Middle East crisis requires collective 
commitment for being a world crisis and the peace process can't 
succeed unless it includes all parties along with the Arab 
countries, the EU, China, Russia and the US," Prodi concluded. 
 
On the Lebanese issue, all papers headlined a speech by Lebanese 
Army Commander Michel Suleiman on August 13 during a meeting with 
Lebanese officers stressing that the "Fatah al-Islam" organization 
is linked to al-Qaeda, adding that the "Syrian security apparatus 
has no relation to it". 
 
All papers featured a report prepared by the Foreign Affairs 
committee at the British House of Commons calling on the British 
government to develop relations with Syria, which plays a major role 
in the region's key issues.  Al-Jazeera Satellite TV Channel on 
August 13 quoted the report as saying "British foreign policy has 
harmed the country's reputation and credibility in the Arab and 
Islamic worlds," calling for direct contacts not only with Hamas but 
with Hizbollah through its MPs in the Lebanese parliament.  The 
report also expected the failure of US strategy concerning 
increasing the number of US and British forces in Iraq.  Al-Jazeera 
Clarified that the report goes in the direction of strengthening 
efforts to press the British government to withdraw forces from 
Iraq, pointing out that the change is required by British Prime 
Minister Gordon Brown not only in Iraq but in other places. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
Vice-President Al-Shara meets journalists today. 
 
"Foreign Minister Mouallem confers with Indian Prime Minister Singh, 
his Indian FM Mokherjee and the Indian Minister of Trade and 
Industry in New Delhi.  Mouallem confirms to the Lebanese satellite 
TV Channel NBN: America pursues illusion.  The arms race does not 
serve peace" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 8/14) 
 
"Indian Prime Minister Singh hails the wisdom of President Asad and 
Syrian reforms" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 8/14) 
 
"A British report calls for the restoration of credibility to 
Britain's policy.  The report calls on the government of British 
Prime Minister Gordon Brown to develop its relations with Syria" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 8/14) 
 
"Lebanese warnings against the US role in prolonging the Lebanese 
crisis continue.  Lebanese Army Commander Michel Suleiman:  The 
'Fatah al-Islam' organization is linked to al-Qaeda, and Syria has 
no connection with it" (Government-owned Tishreen, 8/14) 
 
"Israel arrests Hamas supporters in occupied Jerusalem" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 8/14) 
 
 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
------------------------- 
 
"Peace of False Promises" 
------------------------- 
 
Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, a commentator in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (8/14):  "The Middle East peace for which President 
Bush is calling is based on false claims meant to mislead Arabs and 
cover for the successive American failures in Iraq and Lebanon.... 
 
"Washington seeks to achieve a distorted settlement of the conflict 
between Israel and Palestinians and create a rift in Arab and 
Palestinian ranks by dividing Arabs into moderates and extremists. 
 
"Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel will not 
withdraw from the West Bank before at least five years.... This 
proves the misleading talk about peace by American and Israeli 
leaders.... 
 
"Barak's statements show the true Israeli thinking about peace, 
which the Bush administration cannot disregard or change...." 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
"A Peace Conference or Another Oslo? 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
Khurshid Dalli, a commentator in independent al-Watan, worte (8/14: 
"Israel is the biggest winner from the Middle East peace conference 
that President Bush called for later this year. 
 
"For Israel, the conference will be a second Oslo, producing a state 
with no sovereignty, real capital, or specific geographic 
border.... 
 
"The conference will also deepen Palestinian differences and pave 
the way to normalize relations between Arabs and Israel.  For the 
United States, the conference will divert attention from what is 
happening in Iraq and get the so-called moderate Arab countries 
involved in the American strategy against Iran...." 
 
------------------------------- 
 
"What Kind of Victory Is This?" 
 
------------------------------- 
 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (8/14):  "President Bush tries to inflate marginal things that 
take place in Iraq and present them to Americans as major 
victories.... An example of this is Bush's talk in his recent radio 
address about the killing of an Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, which he 
described as a victory for free Iraq.... 
 
"Iraq was completely free from Al-Qaeda and any other terrorist 
organization when it was occupied.  The terrorists about whom Bush 
constantly talks and from whom he promises to free Iraq would not 
have arrived in Iraq and tampered with its security had it not been 
for the American occupation of the country.  In other words, 
terrorism in Iraq is one of the results of the US occupation.... 
 
"President Bush also remarked in the same radio address that 
American forces have killed and arrested 1,500 terrorists since the 
beginning of the year. Many of these are innocent Iraqis.... When 
Bush says that his troops killed and arrested 1,500 people in Iraq 
since the beginning of the year, this is an open admission that the 
American Army is involved in the killing of Iraqis.... The Bush 
administration is directly responsible for the killing of about one 
million Iraqis since the invasion.... 
 
"Based on these facts, President Bush cannot convince Iraqis or 
Americans that he has achieved victory in Iraq. He cannot even cover 
his failures in this country, which is almost turning into rubble 
and which is losing dozens of its people every day as a result of 
the occupation and Bush's insistence on achieving victory.  So what 
kind of victory is this?" 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
"Seeking a Solution or a Partner in Failure?" 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
Charles Kamilah, a columnist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(8/14):  "President Bush gave the United Nations an expanded role in 
Iraq not because he recognizes the importance and role of the 
international organization or because he seeks a solution to the 
Iraqi problem, but because he is searching for a solution to the 
aggravating crisis of the occupation.... 
 
"Bush wants to perpetuate occupation with international supervision 
covering the cost of the occupation and the repercussions of its 
failure.... 
 
"Everyone wants the United Nations to play a role in Iraq, but 
concurrently with US withdrawal or ending occupation." 
 
Corbin