Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05DAMASCUS6626
2005-12-22 14:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

SYRIAN PRESIDENT GOES TO EGYPT

Tags:  PREL PGOV SY EG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #6626 3561437
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 221437Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6298
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0560
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 006626 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV SY EG
SUBJECT: SYRIAN PRESIDENT GOES TO EGYPT


Classified By: CDA Kathy Johnson-Casares for reasons 1.4 b/d

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 006626

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV SY EG
SUBJECT: SYRIAN PRESIDENT GOES TO EGYPT


Classified By: CDA Kathy Johnson-Casares for reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told
visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Asad in a December 20
meeting attended by Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa
that the SARG needed to take immediate steps to ease the
worsening relationship with Lebanon, according to an Egyptian
diplomat. Mubarak also warned the Syrians that they must
cooperate fully with the UN investigation into the
assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri, encourage
the leaders of Palestinian rejectionist groups to lower their
public profile in Damascus, and stop foreign fighters from
transiting Syria into Iraq, the diplomat said. Asad listened
attentively to Mubarak and promised to comply, but it
remained to be seen whether the Syrian President would
actually heed Mubarak's advice, the diplomat said. Mubarak
would rely on Moussa to travel to Syria for a follow-up
session within weeks, the diplomat said. End Summary.


2. (C) In a December 20 meeting attended by the Egyptian and
Syrian foreign ministers and Arab League Secretary General
Moussa, Mubarak told Asad that he needed to take immediate
steps to ease the worsening relationship with Lebanon,
including holding a meeting between high-level Syrian and
Lebanese officials, ceasing SARG media attacks against
Lebanese officials, and agreeing to demarcate the border
between the two countries, according to an Egyptian diplomat.
(Mubarak delivered the same message to an advisor of the
Lebanese PM and to Lebanese MP Sa'ad Hariri in separate
meetings this week, the diplomat noted.) Mubarak also warned
the Syrians that they should cooperate fully with the UN
investigation into Hariri's death, encourage the leaders of
Palestinian rejectionist groups to lower their public profile
in Damascus, and stop foreign fighters from transiting Syria
into Iraq, the diplomat said.


3. (C) Asad listened attentively to Mubarak and promised to
comply, but it remained to be seen whether the Syrian
President would actually heed Mubarak's advice, the diplomat
said. (Note: The December 21 issue of Tishreen newspaper,
an official Syrian newspaper, ran an article criticizing
Lebanese MP Walid Jumblatt next to a story about the
Mubarak-Asad meeting.) Asad protested to Mubarak that the
SARG had taken several steps to staunch the flow of foreign
fighters to Iraq but had yet to see USG acknowledgment of his
efforts, the diplomat said. The presidents also held a
brief one-on-one session but did not meet with the press, the
diplomat said.


4. (C) Mubarak would rely on Moussa to travel to Syria
within weeks for a follow-up session, the diplomat said. If
the Syrians failed to take Mubarak's advice, the Arab League
would absorb some of the blame, but if the efforts succeeded,
Egypt would reap the benefits, the diplomat commented.
JOHNSON-CASARES