Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Lebanon, Peace

UNCLAS DAMASCCUS 004435

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/Lebanon, Peace
Process, Syria/China, Syria/Australia, War on Terrorism (9/8-10)



1. Summary: Syrian papers over the weekend led with reports of
President Asad's phone conversations with Italian PM Prodi, which
focused on technical assistance to be offered to Syrian border
guards, and featured a statement by the Syrian News Agency
denying reports that Syria has accepted European border guards to
monitor the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Syrian papers also reported Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's
visit to Damascus, his meetings with President Asad, VP Shara
and FM Mouallem, and his press conference, in which he stated
that his talks dealt with the situation in Lebanon and the
Middle East peace process. Headlines featured Lavrov's
statement at the press conference that the recent events in
Lebanon have revealed the importance of achieving solutions to
Middle East problems. He reiterated the importance of
implementing UNSC resolution No. 1701 and rebuilding Lebanon and
called for an international conference on Middle East peace.
Headlines also featured FM Mouallem's statement that "Syria
doesn't work through secret mediators" and that "everything
Syria does is known and announced."

On Syrian-Chinese relations, papers reported the visit to
Beijing by Mohammad Said Bkheitan, Regional Assistant Secretary
of the Al-Ba'th Party, on an official visit to China for talks
about Party cooperation, the Chinese economic experience, and
the role of the Party in setting its general policies and
supervising its implementation.

On Syrian-Australian relations, papers reported the visit to
Australia by Syrian Expatriates Minister, Buthaina Shaaban, who
delivered a lecture at Macquarie University in Sydney, entitled,
"Syrian Strategy for Peace in the Middle East," in which she
confirmed that Syria is working for the establishment of peace in
the region on the basis of international resolutions and the
principle of land for peace.

End of summary.


2. Selected Headlines:

"President Asad and Italian PM Prodi discuss in a phone call
technical assistance to Syrian border guards. Syria denies
agreement to deployment of European border guards along
Syrian/Lebanese border" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/10)

"President Asad holds talks with Russian FM Lavrov. Lavrov talks
in Damascus were successful and fruitful. Syria and Russia call
for seizing the peace opportunity. Syria: Russia has an
important role in maintaining security and stability. Conditions
are appropriate to revive President Putin's peace initiative.
Lavrov: We are eager to work with Syria to achieve a
comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Mouallem:
Syria does not work via secret mediators; what Syria does is
well-known and announced" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 9/8)

"Hizbollah rejects deployment of UNIFIL outside southern Lebanon
and calls on the February 14th group not to bet on foreign
parties" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 9/10)

"The Lebanese army denies illegitimate crossings into Syria"
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 9/10)

"After meeting a Syrian popular delegation, former Lebanese PM Al-
Hoss: Syria has always supported Lebanon and its resistance.
Syrian MP Habash: We did not demand any meeting with the March
14 team" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 9/8)
"Israeli siege ends, and Israeli piracy continues. Six Lebanese
abducted from Eita al-Shaab and Merwahin. Calls to
reject receiving Blair in Lebanon. A debate over the aftermath
of Israeli aggression" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/9)
"The General Secretariat of the Pan-Arab Conference hails the
Resistance victory and calls for helping Lebanon and reactivating
boycott of Israel" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/9)
"Bkheitan, Regional Assistant Secretary of the Ba'th Party,
receives Palestinian intellectual Bishara: Syria exerts efforts
to boost Palestinian national unity. Bkheitan heads to Beijing,
presiding over an official Party delegation" (Government-owned Al-
Thawra, 9/10)

"Israel continues to impose preconditions and rejects an
international peace conference. Abbas and Olmert will not
discuss a prisoner swap" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/9)

"The Israeli army invades Khuzaa. Three Palestinians injured.
HAMAS: No resignation under force" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th,
9/10)

"PM Blair defends policies identical to those of Bush
administration, and calls for resumption of Palestinian-Israeli
negotiations" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/10)

"Japan completes withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Security
enforcements in Karbala. Attacks and explosions in Baghdad,
Karkuk and Beiji" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 9/10)

"On the eve 9/11 anniversary, US President Bush: The danger of
terrorism still exists.... We will pursue terrorists without
mercy" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/10)
"A US Senate report: Saddam Hussein had no relation with al-
Qaeda" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/9)
"Democrats in US Senate reject vote to keep Bolton in his
position, due to his inefficacy and negative role at the UN"
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 9/8)


3. Editorial Block Quotes:

--------------

"From Hiroshima to Qana"

--------------

Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote
(9/9): "No doubt the destruction of the two towers of the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon building was a terrorist act par
excellence. But that act was carried out by a small group of
people who represented no country or even a party. The US
Administration's response to the 9/11 attacks, on the other
hand, has been the worst form of terrorism, because it is state
terrorism practiced by the world's biggest and strongest
country, a country that should have had the world's security and
peace at the center of its attention and responsibility, not the
contrary....

"It is strange for the Bush administration to claim that its
wars against Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon are aimed
at eliminating terrorism. This argument no longer fools even
the Americans and the British who brought George Bush and Tony
Blair to power. Here is Bush's popularity rating dropping to an
all time low, and here is Blair announcing that he will leave
office within a year.... We also should not forget that the war
on Iraq brought down former conservative Spanish Prime Minister
Aznar....

"Nothing is easier than making war, perpetrating massacres, and
practicing terrorism, as is now happening in Afghanistan, Iraq,
and the Palestinian territories and as happened in Lebanon. But
taking the road of peace is very difficult for these people, who
know nothing but the language of killing, destruction, and
terrorism, and who, over more than six decades, have committed
mass killings from Hiroshima to Qana to Marwaheen to Siddiqin to
Gaza to Janin. They are the same hands and the same killers,
from Hiroshima to Qana."

--------------

"Lahd also Meets the March 14 Group"

--------------

Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned
Tishrin, commented (9/8): "The main job of the March 14 group
in Lebanon is to level accusations against Syria, tarnish
Syria's image, and spoil relations between the Syrian and
Lebanese people. This is what Israel and the United States want
this group to do....

"Syria is not surprised by the positions and statements of
members of this Lebanese group because it really believes they
are an Israeli product with an American stamp. Therefore, they
can never be the true representatives of Lebanon. They utter
nothing but what Israel and the United States dictate to them
directly or through the brokers in the region who speak for the
Israelis and the Americans....

"There is a statement by Antoine Lahd, commander of the former
pro-Israel militia in south Lebanon, in which he revealed that
he 'regularly meets in Europe with figures from the March 14
team....' There are also reports about meetings between Walid
Junblatt and Israeli figures in Europe....

"What is important to the overwhelming majority of the Lebanese
and to Syria is that these people are completely exposed in
their relations, contacts, alliances, and attacks on Syria and
the Lebanese nationalist line. They are exposed and unable to
have a real effect on national Lebanese issues. They know
themselves very well. History will have no mercy on them."

--------------

"First, Let Palestinians Unite"

--------------

Razan Imran, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote
(9/9): "Palestinians must renounce their differences and adopt
a unified position.... This is the only way for them to force
Israel to recognize their rights....

"It is regrettable that despite all the Israeli killings and the
siege, Palestinians have not united their ranks.... Staging
strikes in protest of food shortages is a perfectly legitimate
action. But holding the Palestinian government fully
responsible for the siege that Israel has imposed in
collaboration with other countries that turn a blind eye to it,
is conduct that ignores facts....

"It is regrettable that some of the people of the 58-year-old
Palestinian cause have not learned that their enemy understands
nothing but force. This enemy redeployed in Gaza only by force.
It withdrew from south Lebanon only by force. It rushed to a
political rescue from the results of its aggression against
Lebanon only under the pressure of unfamiliar military losses.
All that was a result of force, not only military force, but
also the force of a unified position...."

--------------

"What Do They Want from Sudan?"

--------------

Ahmad Hamadah, a columnist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote
(9/8): "The powers that pushed for the adoption of Resolution
1706 on Darfur do not want to give the Sudanese government the
chance to implement its plan in that region. Rather, those
forces wanted to create tension there to pave the way for the
deployment of international forces and the implementation of
their own agendas....

"It is no longer secret that the US and Western interest in
Sudan is linked to the reported oil discoveries there and to
Israel's effort to divide Sudan and reach the sources of the
Nile...."

Corbin