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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 000248 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2019 
TAGS: PREL SY JA
SUBJECT: SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS TOKYO 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jim Zumwalt, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d 
) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad 
visited Tokyo January 26-29.  The Japanese told him that 
while they appreciate recent positive movements on the 
Syrian-Israeli track and the move to normalized relations 
between Syria and Lebanon, Damascus still needs to play a 
much more constructive role toward achieving a comprehensive 
peace in the Middle East, and that Syria should reconsider 
its approach now that President Obama has been elected.  They 
also warned him that they closely watch Syria's relations 
with North Korea, which is not to be trusted.  Mekdad replied 
by stating Syria tried to restrain Hamas during the recent 
hostilities with Israel, but could not, due to Israel's 
actions which "prevented Hamas from being flexible."  He held 
Israel fully accountable for the hostilities and, on a wider 
scale, for the fact that the countries of the region have not 
been able to achieve peace.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) During his visit to Tokyo, Mekdad held meetings with 
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, State Secretary for 
Foreign Affairs Seiko Hashimoto, Middle East Envoy Tatsuo 
Arima, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs 
Kenichiro Sasae, former Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama, and 
with several Diet members.  He also gave a press conference. 
 
¶3. (C) Mekdad's meeting with Foreign Minister Nakasone lasted 
only fifteen minutes, with interpretation, MOFA First Middle 
East Division Principal Deputy Director Akihiro Tsuji told 
Embassy Tokyo.  The Syrians had requested a meeting with 
Prime Minister Aso, but that was not possible due to the Diet 
schedule.  According to Tsuji, Nakasone - and the other 
ministry officials who met with Mekdad - told him that Japan 
is glad to see that Syria and Israel have recently been able 
to begin indirect negotiations with Turkish mediation, and 
also that Syria has moved to normalize its relations with 
Lebanon.  Japan hopes progress will continue on both these 
fronts.  However, Japan also expects Syria to play a more 
constructive role in the Middle East and that it should take 
steps to improve its relations with the international 
community, particularly the United States.  With regard to 
the recent conflict in Gaza, Nakasone told Mekdad that it is 
important to arrive at a permanent cease fire, not another 
temporary truce.  The international community must work 
together toward this goal, and Syria needs to play a more 
constructive role. 
 
¶4. (C) Mekdad replied by blameing Israel for all the problems 
facing the Middle East. He agreeing that the problems in Gaza 
and in the Middle East in general cannot be solved without 
Syria.  Syria, said Mekdad, wants to realize peace and 
stability in the Middle East and is disappointed that Israeli 
actions are making this more difficult.  The main cause of 
the conflict in the region is the continued occupation of 
Arab land by Israel.  Syria believes Japan can play a useful 
 
TOKYO 00000248  002 OF 003 
 
 
role by advising the new U.S. administration and Israel to be 
more reasonable, and by encouraging the U.S. to play the role 
of honest broker.  The Japanese response to this, said Tsuji, 
was that Syria needs to stop playing the extremist and 
terrorist cards and cooperate more in the process.  In short, 
"the game is over" and Syria should take advantage of the 
inauguration of President Obama to improve relations.  This 
is a big chance, Mekdad was told, and Syria should make sure 
not to miss it.  The Japanese also warned Mekdad that they 
were carefully watching Syria's relationship with North 
Korea, which is not to be trusted. 
 
¶5. (C) Mekdad persisted in insisting that the problems of the 
region were of Israel's making, reported Tsuji. With regard 
to Gaza, he claimed Syria tried to restrain Hamas but could 
not, due to the violent and provocative nature of Israel's 
actions which made it impossible for Hamas to be flexible. 
He held Israel fully accountable for the recent violence and 
then launched into a review of Middle East events dating back 
to 1948, blaming the Israelis for every failure to make 
progress throughout the history of conflict and negotiations. 
 Peace won't be possible, Mekdad said, until the Israelis end 
their occupation of Arab lands, return the Golan Heights to 
Syria, and recognize the rights of the Palestinians to live 
in their own state.  He said that Syria's talks with Israel 
have been frozen following the Gaza violence.  With regard to 
Lebanon, Syria will continue to support that country's return 
to normalcy.  And in Iraq, Syria has been working closely 
with Baghdad to help that country to regain its full 
independence and sovereignty, and hopes for enhanced 
cooperation in the "next stage."  He concluded by urging 
Japan to use its influence to help solve the world financial 
crisis, but also to help solve the problems in the Middle 
East on the basis of UNSCRs 242 and 338. 
 
¶6. (U) Mekdad's hard-line views were on full display January 
28 at a press conference hosted by the Japan National Press 
Club.  Stating that Israel's aggression in Gaza shows once 
again that the lack of a just and comprehensive peace in the 
Middle East continues to effect the region and the world, 
Mekdad said that the "double standard" policies of Israel and 
the United States to isolate Hamas despite its electoral 
victory left Palestinians in Gaza with two choices: die of 
starvation or die actively resisting the occupation.  Calling 
Israel's claim that it was forced to act by Hamas rocket 
attacks "the biggest lie I have ever heard," he asserted that 
even Israel admits it suffered no casualties from the rocket 
attacks while over forty Palestinians died at the hands of 
Israelis during the six month truce that preceded the recent 
violence.  He ridiculed efforts by the Security Council to 
stop the fighting, complained that the resolution that did 
result treated the aggressor and the victims as equals, and 
bemoaned the lack of any serious international outcry over 
the fact Israelis were using F-16s and white phosphorus 
against civilians.  Mekdad asserted that Syria opposes 
terrorism in all its forms, but separately qualified his 
 
TOKYO 00000248  003 OF 003 
 
 
remark by stating that Damascus does not view acts of 
legitimate resistance to occupation as terrorism. 
 
¶7. (U) With regard to Iraq, Mekdad told his audience that 
Syria had opposed the U.S. invasion, which was based on false 
information, and that it had created major problems for 
Syria, which was forced to commit many human rights 
violations because it was required to stop, question, and 
imprision young Arab men entering their country.  He said 
that Syria remains committed to working with Iraq, but 
complained that the day after Damascus returned an Ambassador 
to Baghdad, the U.S. committed a military raid in Syrian 
territory that killed civilians and that, "to this day we 
still don't know what happened there."  Asked about the 
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq 
Harirri, Mekdad replied that Syria has cooperated with the 
investigation "one hundred percent" and "we have nothing to 
do with this heinous crime."  If a Syrian is accused of 
complicity in the attack, he must stand trial in a Syrian 
court.  He said that 13,000 Syrian soldiers were "martyred" 
to bring stability to Lebanon, and that the "Syrian 
occupation" of that country was "a big lie."  "We withdrew 
our forces at the first possible opportunity."  Responding to 
a question about the role of Iran, he said that Iran is a key 
player in the region and is a friend of the Arabs in the 
struggle against Israel. 
 
ZUMWALT