Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Turkey, Lebanon,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 006687 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/S:STHIBEAULT, AND JMCCARTER, 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: Syria/Turkey, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iraq (12/28) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers today highlighted President Asad's interview with Turkish TV Sky News. President Asad said that Syrian-Turkish ties are progressing in a constant and firm way and there is a conviction among Turkish institutions, and many countries, that what is happening to Syria now is unfair and that these pressures are for political objectives. Talking about the economic aspects of ties with Turkey, Asad noted that the economic treaties were of course moving forward although sometimes there might be obstacles due to bureaucratic mechanisms either in Syria or Turkey, saying that these obstructions might sometimes delay implementation. Asad said Turkish policies have moved towards openness regarding neighboring countries for many years and Syria did not feel any change in content. Asad said that Turkey made a very courageous suggestion regarding the UN International Investigation Commission questioning Syrian officials, noting that Turkey offered the site of Ghazi Eintab to hold the inquires there while no other state made a similar offer, which we appreciate, and added that he does not believe that a change in ties between Turkey and Syria might have led to such a suggestion. "The Turkish suggestion was not accepted by the UNIIC but Syria approved it and considered it very good," Asad said. On the two Mehlis reports, Asad said "by all means we have notes on the first and second reports, and perhaps we have conclusions. The report is a narrative of meetings with persons, real and false witnesses, but in the end, the report said it is not over. The most serious outcome was that each report, which was not final, became the basis for UNSC decisions." Agreeing that what is happening in Lebanon puts international pressure on Syria, Asad said "Yes, the truth is that the issue is clearly political and has no relation to the criminal actions taking place in Lebanon," noting that "what we expect is that the report would be professional, and that means to learn in the end who committed the crime of killing Hariri." "We in Syria think that when this report reaches the final result, it will acquit Syria, that is, if it is objective, and free of political pressure. But regarding finger pointing at Syria, I have said before, of course we reject these accusations and condemn these crimes," Asad said. Asad emphasized that Hariri was a friend of Syria and was cooperative with her till the end, noting that he had made statements to this effect, although those who accuse Syria say that Syria threatened him on the subject of the extension of Lahoud. Asad countered that Hariri responded to the Syrian demand and that means Hariri had no position against Syria to say that he had differences with her." "I previously declared in a clear way that if there was a Syrian involved in any criminal action of these operations, he would be tried. This is, as I said in a previous interview, considered treason in Syrian law," Asad said. On democratic reform in Syria, Asad added that it is impossible to say that this development must be rapid, because the issue is related to human and financial capabilities, as well as the political conditions the region and Syria are passing through. "We are under siege in everything; in technology, even the companies that might help us in the process of development are being prevented from coming to Syria," President Asad elaborated. On the US occupation of Iraq and the border issue, Asad said that Syria has an interest in controlling borders independent of the US demand, adding that the Syrian-Iraqi borders are an old problem. "Syria has adopted procedures to control borders with Iraq, but if you look into the other side of the borders, you will notice that there no US and Iraqi measures to do likewise," the President added. On relations with the Iraqi people, Asad said that the Iraqis understand Syria's stance and know very well that Syria has no relation to terrorist infiltration into Iraq. "Terrorists are coming from other states, but the accusation comes to Syria... internationally, there has been more understanding of Syria's stance during recent months, particularly after the issuance of the first and second reports on Lebanon. So our image now is better than before; political games can't continue when they are based on illusions. They are ephemeral," Asad said. On Iraq's future and the elections, the President said that its future depends on the constitution and what is proposed regarding federalism. "We consider that the essence is the unity of Iraq, the essence of future... the essence of the region's future is not only Iraq, but Syria, Turkey and the other states, and even remote countries, whose future and stability depend on the future of Iraq," President Asad noted. "Any federalism built on a sectarian or racial basis will lead to sedition in Iraq, or to the instigation of public disorder among Iraqis... If there is a need or necessity for federalism in Iraq, it should be based only on a national factor," the President added. On the Syrian view of the Kurdish issue inside Syria, President Asad said "Kurds are a basic part of our social body in our region. This part is not artificial, but we should disentangle terrorist acts and extremist parties from the Kurdish issue." On the peace process, the President noted that we don't see any interest on the part of the Israeli government, or any popular Israeli inclination to peace. "Syria is still committed to the peace process based on the UN and Security Council resolutions... The current US administration doesn't show any interest or wish for peace, particularly on the Syrian track," Asad said. He added that if the third party (the US) and the Israeli party are not interested in the peace process, we don't expect there will be any serious move soon. In this context, Asad expressed support for a Turkish role in this issue. On Iran, the President said that Iran has the right to possess nuclear materials for peaceful purposes, but wondered what about the Israeli nuclear weapons... "Syria's permanent stance is to make the Middle East a WMD- free zone. Syria submitted a proposal in 2003 to the UN Security Council to free the region from (WMD)," President Asad added. End summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "In a comprehensive interview with Turkish TV Sky News, President Asad: Our relations with Turkey are progressing in a constant and firm way. The most serious outcome was that each report, which was not final, became the basis for UNSC decisions. Any federalism built on sectarian or racial basis, will lead to sedition in Iraq. We do not see a US and Israeli interest in the peace process. We are proceeding with the reform process; it will not stop" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 12/28) "Hizbollah and Palestinian factions deny firing katousha missiles to the north of occupied Palestine" (Government- owned Tishreen, 12/28) "Two US pilots and one marine killed near Baghdad. Iraqi demonstrations continue in rejection of the election results" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/28) "Israeli occupation forces shell northern Gaza and ignore random settlements. The Palestinian Authority rejects voting without Jerusalem even if elections are postponed and calls on Palestinian factions to adopt a similar position" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/28) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: "Memories of a Passing Year" Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (12/28): "It is regrettable that Arab solidarity was in its worst shape in 2005, with every Arab country giving its individual interest precedence over the collective interests of the Arab nation.... Even the Palestinian cause is no longer among the priorities of the Arab nation..." "The fabricated international crisis with Syria then came as an opportunity for the Arabs to evade their duty and the remaining sense of nationalism, although everybody knows that Syria is paying the price of its national and pan-Arab positions, and that everyone is targeted by the Greater Middle East conspiracy and the American-Zionist plan against the entire region. "The degeneration and shallow thinking of some Lebanese, for example, drove them to launch a campaign against the Arab League SecGen for his effort to improve Syrian-Lebanese relations.... They are publicly calling for internationalization instead of Arabization. They are pinning their hopes and the ambitions of their suspicious leaderships on the American factor in particular and the Western factor in general. "We hope that 2006 will be a better year for Arab solidarity." "Colombo and Revelation of Truth" Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, commented (12/28): "What is more astonishing is the calls unleashed by Lebanese political and media quarters identified with a very well-known bloc calling for an end to the Syrian media campaign against Lebanon. What is even more astonishing is the lie by this bloc that Syria is behind the assassinations in Lebanon, a lie that drove some Lebanese leaders to ask help from other Lebanese parties and from the outside world to get Syria to stop the assassinations. With regard to the assassinations, the political bankruptcy of this bloc made it imagine things that happen only in Hollywood's science fiction movies.... "The heroes of this bloc showed exceptional skills in identifying the culprits immediately after every assassination and installing themselves as judges and issuing irreversible verdicts, as they consider themselves the exclusive agents of the American master, the patron of the international school of lies, which justifies wars based on lies.... "The call for ending the Syrian media campaign is ludicrous.... The media machine of this Lebanese bloc has been involved in a vicious and unprecedented media campaign against Damascus for the past 10 months, while the Syrian media were silent. But they proceeded with their dirty campaign and even encroached upon the symbols of Syria. Things came to a head and the Syrian media had to react, not to respond to the trivialities and the rancorous campaigns, but to expose the champions of this bloc and the grave and malicious objectives of this campaign, which serves nothing but the American Greater Middle East plan and the Zionist project...." "In the Heart of Israeli Strategy" Muhammad Ali Buza, an editorialist in government-owned Al- Thawra, said (12/28): "The Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblat, through his campaign against the Arab League SecGen for his efforts to end the Syrian-Lebanese tension, has divorced Arabism and is now in the heart of the Israeli- American strategy. "Jumblat has showed his real self as a sick man driven by complexes and a stupid opportunist who does not master the art of politics and the reading of history as much as he masters the language of street profanities, forging facts, trading in blood, rendering services paid for generously and in advance to the new masters at home and abroad, playing the exposed set role in the management of the crisis, and dragging Lebanon and the Lebanese into the traps of sedition and the conspiracy of internationalization and trusteeship. "Jumblat and his brokers and those who falsely raise the slogans of freedom and independence in Lebanon are not interested in knowing the truth about the Al-Hariri assassination or receiving any Arab official or initiative to correct relations between Lebanon and Syria.... They are interested in receiving Condaleeza Rice, US Ambassador Feltman, and other figures of trusteeship, interference, and internationalization. They are interested in opening the country's doors wide for the CIA, Mosad and their agents. They are interested in receiving instructions and guidance, and indeed implementing them on the ground, to lead Lebanon astray, drown it in fires and chaos, strip it of the resistance card and weapons, and besiege Syria as a prelude to marketing the Greater Middle East plan in the region...." Seche