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FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4152
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 7076
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4757
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3423
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7879
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INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7598

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000920 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ELA, INR/IC/CD, INR/R/MR: JPAUNESCU AND 
JMCCARTER, VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, AZAIBACK, AND DFOLEY, 
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/Israel, Syria/Rome, Asad CBS Interview, Algeria, 
Lebanon, Iraq (9/7-9) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The main story in Syrian papers over the weekend was 
the Israeli warplanes violation of Syrian airspace on September 6. 
Government-owned Al-Thawra, the only paper to appear on September 7, 
quoted a Syrian military spokesman as saying that Syrian air 
defenses opened fire on the Israeli planes and forced them to leave 
after dropping some of their ammunition without causing human losses 
or material damage. The report said that Syria warned the Israeli 
government confirming that Syria reserves the right to correspond to 
this action in the appropriate way.  The paper also cited Arab and 
foreign condemnations of the "uncalculated Israeli adventure," 
noting that Russia condemned the Israeli "hostile act" and expressed 
its deep concern over such "unacceptable" actions.  Iran expressed 
concern in a telephone conversation the Iranian foreign minister 
held with his Syrian counterpart, condemning the Israeli act and 
stressing full support for and solidarity with Syria.  Arab League 
Secretary General Amre Mousa urged the Quartet Committee and the 
 
SIPDIS 
international community to deal seriously with this Israeli action 
and the negative repercussions that might result from it. Papers 
also featured condemnation statements made by spokespersons of 
foreign ministries of Egypt, Qatar, Paris and Turkey.  Chief Editor 
of government-Tisheen on September 8 criticized Washington's silence 
on this describing it as "the silence of tombs" on this action, 
which is interpreted as a US support for the Israeli act. 
 
On Syrian-Italian relations, papers reported VP Shara's vist to 
Italy and his meetings with Italian Premier Romano Prodi, Deputy 
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alima, Chairman of the 
Foreign Relations Committee at the Italian Senate Senator Lamberto 
Dini and with Life Senator Julio Andreotti.  In a press conference 
following their meeting, Prodi said that their talks focused on 
developments in the Middle East.  On Lebanon, Prodi, expressed 
appreciation of Lebanese Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri's 
initiative regarding the election of the forthcoming President of 
Lebanon, and said that the next Lebanese president must satisfy all 
spectrums of the Lebanese society.  Prodi expressed anxiety over 
Israeli warplanes' violation of Syrian airspace and warned that such 
acts might lead to an explosion in the region.  Shara praised 
Italy's role in contributing positively to finding solutions to 
problems of the region, adding that the Israeli provocation against 
Syria was not on the agenda of the talks, and constitutes a threat 
to efforts being exerted to find solutions to problems in the 
region.  He expressed hope that the European Union will condemn such 
a provocation so that it will not be repeated. 
 
End of summary. 
 
¶2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad in a comprehensive interview with American CBS 
channel:  Americans do not want to acknowledge their error and look 
for a scapegoat... 
Things worsen and US forces will not achieve stability... The 
American administration does not support any political process in 
Iraq... Chaos is contagious and Syria has no interest in it... We 
fought extremism when American leaders called it jihad... Hizbollah 
is part of the Lebanese society and Israel daily trespasses 
Lebanon... We are working for peace and reject the existence of WMD 
in the region" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 9/9) 
 
"A reckless Israeli adventure.  A Syria military spokesman: We warn 
the government and retain our right to correspond. Russia denounces 
and expresses deep worry. Iran:  We are fully steadfast with Syria. 
Turkey:  A provocative action.  Shara:  Israel endeavors to 
aggravate tension and block possibilities of peace.  Confused 
answers from Israel.  Washington refrains from any comment" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 9/7) 
 
"Strong condemnations of the reckless Israeli infiltration continue. 
The Arab League calls on the international community to deal 
seriously with the breach.  Cairo: increases tension.  Doha: We are 
steadfast with Syria.  Paris:  We are committed to peace.  Ankara: 
We are worried about this act" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 9/8) 
 
"Shara returns from Rome after holding talks on developments in the 
region: The Israeli aggression cannot be tolerated" 
 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 9/8) 
 
"Terrorism strikes again in Algeria. 88 killed and injured in a 
suicide bomb explosion in a military barrack. Syria condemns the 
terrorist attacks and calls for full support of Algerian brothers" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 9/9) 
 
"General Petraeus, Commander of US forces in Iraq, might recommend 
reduction of US forces. More than 18 US soldiers were killed in the 
first week of September" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/8) 
 
"A global BBC opinion poll:  67 % of people around the world support 
a US pullout from Iraq" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/8) 
 
¶3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
"Israeli Aggression and the Silence of Tombs" 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
Isam Dari, chief editor chief editor of government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (9/5):  "Why did Washington refuse to comment on this Israeli 
aggression?  Was it because it was waiting to receive the comment 
from its source, Israel, or was that in compliance with the Israeli 
decision not to respond to the "Syrian accusations? 
 
"But we will not blame the American master as long as he lacks a 
free and independent policy toward anything related to the region, 
and as long as the American policies on the Middle East are cooked 
in the kitchens of Tel Aviv before they are marketed by the 
neo-Zionists who control the American decision-making centers. 
 
"We are not awaiting an American response, because if it comes it 
will justify this piracy. Perhaps the new hostile act was 
coordinated between Washington and Tel Aviv. We no longer know how 
to separate the American and Israeli policies. 
 
"With this Israeli belligerence, the leaders of Tel Aviv prove that 
they are really first-class peace advocates and that they are 
working to remove the tension and defuse the volatile situation! 
 
"What is more important is that the American silence, which can only 
be explained as an exposed and blatant encouragement for Israel, 
proves that the American peaceful intentions are sincere!  It is a 
message of peace for the peoples of the region, intended to prove 
that the American endeavors to bring about the hoped-for peace are 
honest. And it is the prelude to the conference that George Bush, 
the eternal peace lover, called for.... 
 
"How can the Bush administration host a peace meeting when it 
blesses Israel's terrorism and piracy...? 
Don't we have the right to ask about the motives of the new Israeli 
aggression on the one hand and the suspicious American silence on 
the other at this particular time when the US Administration is 
promoting a 'peace meeting'? 
 
"Is there a connection between the Israeli violation of the Syrian 
airspace and the adoption by the Arab foreign ministers of a 
resolution stressing the need to invite Syria and Lebanon to the 
Washington meeting, if the aim of the meeting is indeed to revive 
the peace process? 
 
"Did Israel want, at the instructions of the US Administration, or 
the US Administration want, upon a proposal from Israel, to justify 
the failure not to invite Syria to the American-Israeli 
'normalization meeting', which will see broad and significant Arab 
participation? 
 
"Despite everything, we are not surprised by the American position 
or by the Israeli belligerence.  This is the nature of the US 
Administration and the truth of terrorist Israel...." 
 
---------------------- 
 
"Beautifying the Ugly" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Mundhir Khalil Id, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (9/7):  "President Bush twisted facts and underestimated the 
intelligence of others when he spoke from Sidney about security 
progress in Iraq.... 
 
"The US President is perhaps trying to suggest that he prevailed in 
Iraq and that a partial withdrawal has now become possible. But the 
fact is that US occupation is no longer able to stay in Iraq.... 
Regardless of the objectives of Bush's statements, the only fact 
that remains is that the solution lies in setting a timetable for 
withdrawal and leaving the affairs of the country to its people, who 
saw nothing under the occupation other than tragedies and 
destruction.... 
 
"Until then, the Iraq nightmare will continue to haunt Bush wherever 
he goes, whether in Sidney, which turned into a military base 
because of his visit and the strong opposition to him, or later in 
Washington, where the season of reports awaits him." 
 
Corbin