Damascus Media Reaction: President Asad's Interview

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 001430

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: President Asad's Interview
with US PBS TV Network, Arab Summit, Palestine, Iraq



1. Summary: Syrian papers today led with President Asad's
interview with the US PBS TV Network. All papers headlined
President Asad's statement "We want to cooperate with the US
Administration, and we can find common interests."

The Khartoum Summit was the second focal topic in the Syrian
papers, which reported president Asad's return to Syria after
taking part in the summit and conducting a series of meetings
with leaders, presidents and delegations: Sheikh Hamad Bin
Khaleifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al-
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler
of Dubai; Sheikh Sef bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE Minister of
Interior; Sheikha Lubna al-Qasmi, the UAE Minister of Economy and
Planning; Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Qarqawi, the UAE Minister
of State for the Affairs of the Prime Ministry; Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas; and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah al-
Saleh.

Papers also featured Russian President Vladimir Putin's message
to the summit calling for an end to all kinds of foreign
intervention in Lebanese internal affairs and Syrian-Lebanese
relations, pointing to the necessity of maintaining cooperation
between them. Putin said that the Arab initiative launched in the
Beirut Arab Summit of 2002 paved the way for realizing inter-
related strategic goals, including "ending the occupation which
has started in 1967, establishing a sovereign Palestinian state,
and reviving the Mideast peace process from the point at which it
stopped." He underlined the need to work with a spirit of
partnership among all civilizations, starting from regional
initiatives and taking into consideration the region's
experiences and traditions. As for the Palestinian situation, the
Russian President underscored the need to recognize the new facts
resulting from the latest democratic Palestinian elections,
pointing out that his country has started dialogue with Hamas,
starting from this recognition and based on the position of the
quartet.

Regarding Iraq, Putin called for preservation of Iraq's unity,
safety and territorial integrity and serious efforts to hinder
its slide into civil war, "that can only be accomplished by an
Iraqi national concord and ending the foreign military presence
on Iraqi soil," he added.

He committed to work hard to solve the Dafur issue and bring
about peace in Sudan. "Russia intends to develop multilateral
cooperation with the Arab League," Putin added, expressing
confidence that cooperation between Russia and the Arab countries
will be enhanced and expanded to serve all parties' interests.

End of summary.


2. Selected Headlines:

"President Asad gives an interview to the American PBS TV
Network, addressing local, regional and international issues.
President Asad: We would like to see peace, stability, prosperity
and better standards of life in our country; we are going to play
our role in the region, but we have many obstacles; some of them
are related to us and nobody else; and some are related to the
international situation; what we warned the USA and the world
against before invading Iraq is happening now everyday; stability
in Iraq serves our interests; every imported democracy is a
failure; we want to cooperate with the US Administration, and we
can find common interests" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/29)

"The Khartoum Summit holds two closed-door sessions, discusses
situations in Iraq, Palestine and Darfur. President Asad reviews
with Arab leaders and heads of participating delegations recent
developments and the situation in Iraq" (Government-owned Al-
Thawra, 3/29)

"President Putin addresses a message to the Arab summit
discouraging foreign intervention in Lebanese internal affairs
and Syrian-Lebanese relations" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/29)

"The government of Prime Minister Hanieh wins the confidence of
the Palestinian Legislative Council with a majority of 71 votes"
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/29)

"Israeli parties Kadima and Labor are neck to neck in the Israeli
elections.

3. Editorial Block Quotes:

--------------
"2006 No's"

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

Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al-
Thawra, wrote (3/29): "The Arab summit in Khartoum must be a
summit of resolutions, not a summit of slogans....

"Convening the Arab summit, in itself, is important because it
reflects commitment to the principle of Arab solidarity. But
this is not enough. The summit must be a forum for implementing
resolutions, not for making statements of condemnation and
rejection....

"For example, the time has come for the expressions of support
for the Palestinian people to turn into tangible actions. HAMAS
now needs everyone to help it succeed. Arabs shoulder a big
responsibility here, especially since HAMAS is the choice of the
Palestinian people....

"The Iraqi file, which is susceptible to painful wounds, needs
real action based on a solution that protects Iraq from division
in a way that guarantees the departure of the occupation forces.
If others are doing everything they can to divide Iraq -- land
and people -- Arabs are required to make tremendous efforts to
stop this...."

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

"The Test"

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

Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote
(3/29): "The Arab situation today has changed since the Arab
summit in Khartoum in 1967, which adopted strict anti-Israel
resolutions....

"In the name of realism some Arabs adopted an approach that
conflicted totally with the approach decided in Khartoum in
1967....

"But we understand realism to mean dealing with reality without
relinquishing land, rights, and sanctities, and without raising
the white flag and saying loudly and publicly that we have been
defeated only because our enemy is stronger than we are and is
protected by a superpower that defends it and prevents the
United Nations from punishing or condemning it....

"In Khartoum today Arabs face a new test for their will and
resolve. Passing this test is more than a pressing need. Failure
is inadmissible under any pretext. The Arab scene, from Iraq to
Palestine to Lebanon, needs no explanations, interpretations, or
analyses. The Arab nation is under siege, facing extremely
dangerous challenges. The Arab peoples, who aspire to the
highest level of solidarity, cohesion, and unity, might become
content with the lowest level of Arab solidarity. But neither
the Arab peoples nor history will be merciful, if we fail this
test or if anyone of us tries to go a single step below this
lowest level. We have great hopes in the leaders of the nation
and the new summit in Khartoum...."

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

"Rice's New Expectation"

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

Bassam Radwan, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote
(3/29): "US Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice stated that a big
reduction of American troops in Iraq is likely to be made this
year or next in view of the fact that the Iraqi forces are
making progress in controlling the country....

"The departure of foreign forces from Iraq is the starting point
for fraternal Iraq to recover ... its sovereignty and stability
after its destruction by an aggressive war machine and after
loss of its independence in an illegitimate war launched on the
basis of completely false pretexts.

"The true reason for the expected US withdrawal, however, is the
fierce resistance by Iraqis.... The New York Times revealed that
President Bush informed British Prime Minister Tony Blair that
he was determined to invade Iraq whether or not the country had
WMD.... This means that the head of the British government bears
the same ethical, legal, and historical responsibility as the
American president and his administration for the major crime
and its destructive results for Iraq, the region, and world
peace generally...."

Seche