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DE RUEHDM #0853/01 2340439
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O 220439Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4073
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 7057
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4735
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3403
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7864
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1972
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5298
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1492
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7585

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000853 
 
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/Iraq, Syria/Palestinians, Syria/Israel, Lebanon, 
Bush's Strategy in Iraq, US/Israel (8/20-21) 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on August 21 reported the visit to 
Damascus by Iraqi PM Nouri al-Malki and his meeting with PM Mohammad 
Naji Ottri on August 20.  Talks focused on bilateral relations and 
mutual cooperation between the two countries and means to improve 
them.  PM Ottri expressed Syria's readiness to offer support and aid 
to the Iraqi people, participate effectively in rebuilding Iraq and 
construct what has been destroyed by wa 
r.  "Syria spared no effort 
to offer aid to Iraqis, and did her best to support and realize 
Iraqi national reconciliation, security and stability," Ottri said. 
He held the occupation forces responsible for the deteriorating 
social, economic and security situation there, saying "the presence 
of occupation forces in Iraq attracted extremist powers and led to 
escalating blind violence which claims the lives of scores of 
innocent people every day in Iraq."  "Putting a timetable for the 
withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq will boost opportunities of 
reconciliation among Iraqis and provide suitable atmosphere for a 
serious dialogue among different Iraqi parties," PM Ottri went on. 
Iraqi PM al-Maliki reiterated the importance of re-evaluting all 
former agreements between the two states through a joint technical 
commission.  Members of the Iraqi delegation expressed appreciation 
of Syria for providing suitable conditions to Iraqi refugees in 
Syria. 
 
Independent al-Watan on 8/20 featured a message addressed by Ismail 
Hanieh, PM of the PA caretaker government, to President Asad calling 
on him to help in solving the ordeal of Palestinian refugees fleeing 
persecution in Iraq and trapped at its common borders with Syria. 
Hanieh hailed President Asad's positions regarding the Palestine 
cause and his "incessant effort in service of the Palestinian 
people". The premier then hoped that Assad would personally 
intervene to end those refugees' tragic conditions and to allow them 
to live in Syria, explaining that such a step would be a mere 
extension of the president's national measures in support of 
Pan-Arab causes.  Hanieh appealed to Asad to personally follow up on 
the issue by appointing a special envoy for this purpose. 
 
All papers on August 21 featured a call on Israel by the "Reporters 
without Borders" Organization on August 20 to release Syrian 
Journalist and TV correspondent in the Occupied Syrian Golan Ata 
Farhat.  "Israeli authorities have not given any justification 
regarding the arrest of Farhat who doesn't know the accusations 
directed against him," Italian AKI news agency quoted the 
Organization as saying.  Israeli occupation forces on July 30th 
stormed Farhat's home in Bakata, north of the occupied Syrian Golan, 
taking him to unknown place after searching his house. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Syrian and Iraqi talks tackle mutual cooperation, reactivation of 
past agreements, and the issue of Iraqi refuges.  Ottri:  We are 
grieved by Iraqi suffering; we support any effort contributing to 
national reconciliation.  Al-Maliki:  We are keen on enhancing 
relations to serve joint interests.  The Iraqi side expresses 
appreciation for Syria's efforts toward Iraqi refugees confirming 
concern to create a suitable atmosphere for their return" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 8/21) 
 
"General Petraeus [Commander of Multi-National Force in Iraq] and 
Ambassador Crocker submit their report on Iraq on September 11.  A 
Pentagon official:  Bush, the loser, prepares to announce his 
failure in front of the pubic opinion" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
8/21) 
 
"British Newspaper "The Guardian: Smell of failure hovers over the 
White House" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 8/21) 
 
"Anti-occupation demonstration in Sadr city.  News circulated about 
a visit to Baghdad by Iranian President Ahmadinejad.  French Foreign 
Minister Kouchner hints at a French role in Iraq in the future" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 8/21) 
 
"French Foreign Minister Kouchner suddenly in Baghdad to express 
solidarity with Iraqis.  A military adviser to Bush:  British forces 
will be forced to a horrendous and embarrassing withdrawal from 
 
Iraq" (Government-owned Tishreen, 8/20) 
 
"Hanieh addresses a message to President Asad about the suffering of 
Palestinian refugees coming from Iraq" (Independent al-Watan, 8/20) 
 
"Palestinian refugees in Syria:  Responding to Syria's call for 
dialogue is necessary" (Government-owned Tishreen, 8/20) 
"Amid continuing darkness in Gaza, six Palestinians martyred in an 
Israeli air strike" (Government-owned Tishreen, 8/21) 
 
"A new video tape exposes Israeli humiliation of Palestinians on 
border crossings.  Palestinians worry about nuclear leakage from the 
Demona reactor" (Independent al-Watan, 8/20) 
 
"Israeli occupation denies stopping to chase Palestinian activists 
in the West Bank.  The occupation suspends providing the Gaza Strip 
with fuel and electricity" (Government-owned Tishreen, 8/20) 
 
"Confrontations in Nahr al-Bared enter the fourth month.  The 
Opposition studies all possibilities with President Lahoud and 
Speaker Berri" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 8/21) 
 
"The Lebanese crisis... between independent resolution and US 
accounts.  Lebanese Ministers and MPs:  The governing team's betting 
on foreign powers sabotages the country" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
8/20) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
---------------------- 
 
"The House of Arabism" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Abd-al-Fattah Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (8/21):  "Damascus receives Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri 
al-Maliki while it is aware of the amount of pain the Iraqi people 
are suffering and of the magnitude of the complications the 
situation in sisterly Iraq is witnessing. 
 
"With this realization of the tragedies Iraq is experiencing, Syria 
believes that there is no option other than political 
reconciliation, which constitutes the foundation stone on which the 
other solutions can be built.  It also fully believes that 
occupation is the essence of the problem and that setting a 
timetable for the withdrawal of the occupation from Iraq would be 
the main step in the right direction.... 
 
"The agenda of the Iraqi brothers here will be rich with frank 
discussions, reflecting the fact that Damascus is always the 
beautiful house of Arabism, the house that believed in the sanctity 
of Arab affiliation.... 
 
"This is why Syrians are now grieved by this Arab rift, which we see 
in various forms, the most prominent of which, perhaps, is our 
excessive sensitivity toward one another and the great deal of 
tension in which we deal with what is said here or there. 
 
"It is obvious that there is a very pressing need now for sincere 
Arab efforts to put Arab solidarity on its right track.  Although 
Arab countries have many interests in common, we see the opposite. 
And at the same time we do not see sufficient Arab efforts to mend 
the Arab home from the weakness it suffered and the differences that 
turned--thanks to certain parties--into useless shouting...! 
 
"Syria's message to all Arab countries is that what brings us 
together is greater than what drives us apart, that we have common 
interests and hopes, and that departure from Arabism promises of 
nothing but destruction." 
 
--------------------- 
 
"Disastrous Strategy" 
 
--------------------- 
 
Muhammad Khair al-Jammali, a commentator in government-owned 
Al-Thawra, wrote (8/21):  "Indications of failure of Bush's new 
strategy in Iraq came not only from the increasing number of deaths 
among US troops in Iraq, or from the rise in suicide cases among the 
American soldiers, as recently announced, or from the failure of the 
military campaigns, which were often crowned by war crimes against 
the Iraqi people, but also from the White House announcement that 
plans are being made for a gradual pullout of the troops from Iraq 
in what will be presented as a new strategy.... 
 
"Will the White House's new strategy succeed in containing failure 
in Iraq and its political repercussions, which threaten the future 
of the Republicans in the next presidential election...? 
 
"This strategy might succeed only if the American policy that 
neoconservatives are pursuing is changed in favor of a new policy 
abandoning the logic of force and interference in the internal 
affairs of other countries and the tendency for arrogance, threats, 
and creation of chaos and sedition, and adopting dialogue as the 
only language to solve problems of the region and present an 
acceptable image of the United States in the region and the rest of 
the world." 
 
------------------------------------------- 
 
"Withdrawal, Most Useful US Option in Iraq" 
 
------------------------------------------- 
 
Ahmad Dawwa, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 
(8/21):  "It is likely that the US Administration will withdraw US 
troops from Iraq in light of the growing domestic and foreign 
pressure and the fact that the victory Bush is talking about will 
not be achieved before or after the end of his term in office.... 
 
"The United States will certainly not withdraw from Iraq because it 
accomplished its mission.  Nor will it withdraw in response to the 
demands of the Iraqi people and the American and world public or to 
please Arabs.  It will withdraw because the Bush administration has 
come to realize that the mission was not and will not be 
accomplished in the way Bush wanted...." 
 
----------------------- 
 
"Before It Is Too Late" 
 
----------------------- 
 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, "The United States is providing Israel with 
additional military aid while Tel Aviv is not only rejecting the 
peace of the international legitimacy, but also directing threats 
around the clock and holding military exercises in preparation for a 
new round of wars.... 
 
"Washington is pushing Israel toward a military adventure to regain 
some of the prestige it lost after the defeat it suffered at the 
hands of the Lebanese national resistance last year.... 
 
"Arabs, therefore, need to be aware of what they are doing in their 
American relations.  If they like divisions and do not want 
solidarity, they have no excuse whatsoever to get closer to the 
current US Administration and to cover its positions.  As for Syria, 
it knows exactly what it wants.  It has sufficient experience and 
ability to confront all eventualities.  We hope that all Arab 
brothers will work to revive Arab solidarity and be alert to the 
dangers of this stage before it is too late." 
 
Corbin