Damascus Media Reaction: Lebanon, Syria,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 006578 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/S:STHIBEAULT VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, DBENZE AND AFERNANDEZ, IIP/G/NEA-SA RWINCHESTER WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC CENTCOM FOR CCPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY SUBJECT: Damascus Media Reaction: Lebanon, Syria, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, GCC (12/19) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers today reported a lecture delivered by Dr. Mahdi Dakhlallah, Minister of Information, entitled "Propaganda Campaign Against Syria," in which he criticized the anti-Syria media and political campaign, saying that it seeks to incite disagreement between Syria and Lebanon and to serve enemies of the Arab nation by destabilizing the region and seizing its resources. On Lebanon, papers reported statements by Lebanese MPs and clergymen calling for a serious national dialogue, warning against random accusations and criticizing the anti-Syria campaign. As for developments in the Palestinian territories, papers reported a statement by Javier Solana, European Union Foreign Policy Chief, that the EU might halt tens of millions of dollars of aid to the Palestinians if Hamas wins the Palestinian elections and fails to renounce violence. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "Lebanese MPs and officials call for a serious national dialogue and warn against unleashing random accusations after each explosion" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) "Minister of Information, Dr. Mahdi Dakhlallah: Syria is being exposed to a misleading media campaign" (Government- owned Al-Thawra, 12/19) "Syrian expatriates denounce pressure and accusations against Syria. A campaign with a million signatures addresses UN SecGen Annan: No to biased policies" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) "German cyclists arrive in Hama as part of a solidarity tour with Syria" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) "Syria receives an invitation from Iran to participate in an international conference supporting the Palestinian people's rights" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) "The European Union, after the US, rejects Hamas' victory in the Palestinian legislative elections. The Palestinian Authority demands respect for the democratic choice of the Palestinian people" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) "Israeli raids target civilians in Gaza. One Palestinian martyred in northern Gaza" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 12/19) "Cheney suddenly in Baghdad. Powell holds Cheney, Bush and Rumsfeld responsible for the decision to go to war against Iraq" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) "The Gulf Cooperation Council summit commences its deliberations in Abu-Dhabi. The GCC discusses means of ridding the region of WMD" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 12/19) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: "Wagers and Illusions" Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, commented (12/19): "The winds of the UN Security Council did not blow in the direction desired by those who draw strength from abroad against their home in Lebanon, or those who are working hard to punish Syria and perhaps isolate and besiege it. This Lebanese minority, which theoretically represents a parliamentary majority achieved through well-known circumstances, pressures, and lies, has lost its wager and has failed to win the Lebanese public. "They wagered on a strong resolution condemning Syria and opening the doors for full internationalization of the case to serve enemies of the Arab nation by destabilizing the region and seizing its resources. On Lebanon, papers reported statements by Lebanese MPs and clergymen calling for a serious national dialogue, warning against random accusations and criticizing the anti-Syria campaign. through the establishment of an international court. They wanted Lebanon to open all its files to international investigation commissions, although this implies doubts about the integrity, objectivity, and professionalism of the Lebanese judiciary. They did not see this as encroachment upon Lebanon's sovereignty and national pride. "Those who read the original draft resolution and compare it to the resolution that was adopted after amendments can see to what lengths this team wanted to push things, and into what trench it wanted to drag Lebanon, and with it the whole region. Yet this team, which did not hide its disappointment, still tried to give lessons in patriotism and ethics to the honorable Lebanese who paid with their virtuous blood a heavy price to liberate most of south Lebanon, and who are still offering sacrifices to protect the homeland and its territory, dignity, and independence.... "The anti-Syria team did not hide its disappointment with the new Security Council resolution. They had thought that a resolution condemning Syria was in their pocket, that the international court would be set up right away, and that the role of the team investigating the crime of Al-Hariri's assassination had become so essential that it had full right to decide and do whatever it liked. But none of this happened, not because the Security Council adopted a balanced resolution, but because some parties realized that what was reported was based only on assumptions, statements, and probabilities, while justice does not rely on such things. Will this team wake up from its daydreams and stop its madness and hallucinating? "Misinterpretation" Ali Qasim, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (12/19): "The reading that is presented by some Lebanese politicians raises unlimited contradictions and misinterpretations.... Those Lebanese politicians intentionally misinterpret Syria's positions and statements so as to harm Damascus.... Only irrational or bankrupt people can see a warning against dangers as a message in the wrong direction.... "Lebanese Druze leader Walid Junblatt's statement after Gebran Tueni's assassination linked the assassination to President Al-Asad's warning a day earlier in an interview with Russian television that sanctions on Syria would lead to further unrest and more extremism in the region.... "This misinterpretation is not only naive, but also entails lies and fabrications.... Any observer of what Syria warned against understands very well the objectives and dimensions of that warning. In no way can any observer interpret it the way those people interpreted it. The situation that the region and the rest of the world are experiencing does not tolerate any other adventure or further explosive factors. Syria was not the only country that warned against this. Many others in the world did the same." "US Democratic Claims" Maha Sultan, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (12/19): "The US Administration was displeased with Hamas' victory in the Palestinian municipal elections and its participation in the forthcoming general elections.... "How can Washington, which talks about democracy day and night and launches a world war to promote it, reject Palestinian democracy and call for canceling a major win that Hamas achieved in democratic elections? "How can it expect us to accept its position toward Hamas' victory when it condemns and attacks Iran, for example, for allegedly interfering in the Iraqi elections? to serve enemies of the Arab nation by destabilizing the region and seizing its resources. On Lebanon, papers reported statements by Lebanese MPs and clergymen calling for a serious national dialogue, warning against random accusations and criticizing the anti-Syria campaign. "The US Administration must stop playing the ridiculous game of democracy and say directly and frankly exactly what it wants from the region...." "Rhetoric of War, and Erroneous Policies Continue" Muhammad Ali Buzah, an editorialist in government-owned Al- Thawra, wrote (12/19): "In his recent statements to Fox News, in which he acknowledged that the United States made mistakes in Iraq and that much of the pre-war intelligence was wrong, President Bush offered nothing new, nothing that the American people and the rest of the world did not know, and presented no vision or approach to correct the situation, rectify Washington's wrong policies toward Iraq and the region in general, and end the suffering and the state of unrest and chaos. "On the contrary, the US president insisted that the decision to go to war was correct and that the Iraq strategy will remain unchanged.... "The result is that neither Iraq nor the region will see any kind of calm. On the contrary, Iraq and the region appear headed toward further unrest, chaos, explosion, insecurity, and instability, especially since the hawks and the neoconservatives in the United States have taken it upon themselves to escalate the situation and proceed with the policy of militarization, fires, killing, and destruction until the end, and no matter what the results. The goal is to impose the American-Israeli agenda, restructure the region, and impose the so-called Greater Middle East Plan." Johnson-Casares