Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Palestinians,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002192

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/Palestinians,
Syria/Sudan, Syria/Russian/Sweden, Lebanon, CIA Nomination,
Ahmadinezhad's Letter to Bush (5/10)



1. Summary: Syrian papers reported that Syria has received 53
families of Palestinian refugees who were trapped at the
Jordanian and Iraqi borders for 6 weeks before. "Syria has taken
necessary steps to host the Palestinian refugees in cooperation
with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Higher
Commission of Palestinian Refugees," Ali Mustafa, Director of
the General Commission of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, said.
Headlines featured a statement by Khaled Mashal, Head of the
Hamas Political Bureau, praising the Syrian gesture.

Papers also reported that President Asad has received a letter
from Sudanese President Umar Ahmad Hasan al-Bashir on relations
between the two sisterly countries. The letter was delivered by
Dr Mustafa Othman Isma'il, adviser to the Sudanese president, at
a meeting attended by Vice President Faruq al-Shar'a and the
Sudanese Ambassador in Damascus, Abd-al-Rahman Dirar. Talks
dealt with the situation in the region and developments in the
Darfur issue.

Papers reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad met
in New York with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, who said that
his country's position is that Syria has implemented all its
obligations under UNSC resolution 1559. Makdad also met with
Sweden's FM Jan Eliasson, the current chairman of the UNSC; they
discussed the necessity of supporting the Palestinian people and
solving the crisis of their living conditions.

Syrian newspapers discussed the resignation of CIA Director
Porter Goss and the nomination of Michael Hayden to replace him.
Dr Sa'id Musallam said in Al-Thawra that Michael Hayden's
nomination shows that the US Administration intends to continue
its plans to impose "hegemony" on the world and "suppress"
domestic opposition. Dina Dakhlallah said in Al-Ba'th that the
nomination of Michael Hayden as the new CIA director shows that
President Bush is not planning to change his ways. The writer
advises the US president to listen to the demonstrators in his
country who have called for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
and turning of attention to domestic problems.

End of summary.


2. Selected Headlines:

"In accordance with President Asad's directives, Syria receives
the Palestinian families who were trapped at the Iraqi and
Jordanian borders" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/10)

"President Asad receives a letter from his Sudanese counterpart,
Omar Hassan al-Bashir, and discusses with Mustafa Othman Ismail,
Advisor to the Sudanese President, the latest developments in the
region and the Darfur Issue" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/10)

"Deputy Foreign Minister Miqdad receives Swedish Foreign Minister
in New York and discusses bilateral relations and regional issues
with Russian Foreign Minister. Lavrov: Syria has implemented
resolution 1559" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/10)

"General Manager of the Commercial Bank of Syria Dergham confirms
that US accusations against Syria are unfounded: We seek better
banking performance despite pressure" (Government-owned Al-
Thawra, 5/10)

"Popularity of British Labor Party decreases by 6 points. British
Minister of Treasury Brown: Prime Minister Blair will start
negotiation to relinquish power. President Bush's popularity hits
lowest record and retreats to 31 percent" (Government-owned
Tishreen, 5/10)

"Israel will finalize construction of the racist wall before the
end of the year. Occupation forces continue shelling Gaza and
tighten economic siege on Palestinians" (Government-owned Al-
Ba'th, 5/10)

"British academics prepare to boycott Israeli universities"
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/10)




3. Editorial Block Quotes:
--------------
"Where Is Leadership?"

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

Salim Abbud, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, said
(5/10): "When UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen exceeded his powers and
called for the establishment of diplomatic relations between
Syria and Lebanon and the demarcation of the border between them
he was carrying out American-French instructions to that
effect....

"The Lebanese parties that have always been against Syria and
the Arab identity of Lebanon are the parties that are now
calling for diplomatic relations between the two countries. The
aim is to belittle the fraternal relations that are embodied by
the brotherhood treaty between the two countries.... The
resolution that they want to obtain from the UN Security
Council, which calls for the establishment of diplomatic
relations and the exchange of ambassadors, will be a prelude to
other Security Council resolutions forcing Arab countries,
including Lebanon and Iraq, to establish relations with
Israel....

"Responding to an American-Israeli desire, some Lebanese parties
are trying to divert the attention of the Lebanese people from
the Arab-Israeli conflict; the American-Zionist plan for the
region; the issue of Iraq; the American threats to Iran, Syria,
Hizbollah, and the Palestinians; and the political, security,
and economic issues that concern the Lebanese, by creating an
imaginary conflict between Lebanon and Syria, or, in other
words, a Lebanese-Syrian crisis."

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

"Policy of Disorder, For How Long?"

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

Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen,
commented (5/10): "US policy shows blind bias toward Israel and
reflects aggressive Israeli interests, not real American
interests....

"Washington prevents the condemnation of Israel in the United
Nations and imposes collective punishment on the Palestinians
for their democratic choice.

"In Lebanon, the US Ambassador gives instructions, concocts
plots here and there, and works to deepen the rift in Lebanon's
relations with Syria and the other Arab countries and to incite
the Lebanese themselves against their national resistance and
president.... The aim is to bring Israeli hegemony back to
Lebanon....

"The US Administration is also working to prolong the occupation
of Iraq and turn the country into a military base threatening
the peoples of the region and looting the resources of Iraq....
All this is done for the sake of Israel....

"Is it not strange for a superpower to be driven by the designs
of a terrorist entity that is hostile to international law and
the UN Charter, an entity that has brought nothing upon the US
Administration but the hatred of nations?"

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

"A Letter That Is an Enormous Step"

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


Hamid Huran, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th,
commented (5/10): "Iranian President Ahmadinezhad's letter to
President Bush, in which he reportedly called for dialogue to
solve the problems of the world, is an important step in the
right direction....

"Those who want stability in the world should pursue diplomacy
and direct negotiations, not use other parties for negotiations
or issue dictates and threats that only make crises worse....
Through the letter, Iran showed its definite desire to resolve
its differences with the Europeans and Americans through
diplomacy.... Iran takes a comprehensive vision toward world
events, while the US policy is responsible for tension in the
world."

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

"Bush's Changes Have Reached the CIA"

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

Dina Dakhlallah, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th,
wrote (5/10): "After the scandals of the secret prisons in
Europe, the series of leaks and bribes, the failures of 11
September, and erroneous war-related intelligence, the CIA,
which won the Cold War against communism, today appears unable
to stop its failures and even to find the right man to lead the
necessary internal reforms....

"Although Goss' resignation triggered a big controversy, the
nomination of General Michael Hayden, Deputy Director of
National Security, as his successor will trigger a bigger
controversy, especially in the Congress, where Hayden will be
asked about the secret eavesdropping program in which the
National Security Agency participated while he was its
chairman....

"Hayden's nomination offers yet further proof that the changes
Bush is making seek to entrench his administration's old
approach, not launch a new one....

"It appears that the US president, who sought changes under
pressure from his party, which, like the president, is suffering
a decline in its popularity, forgot that keeping Donald Rumsfeld
and Dick Cheney and appointing Hayden and others will not
improve the electoral position of the Republican Party.

"If Bush really wants to maintain the Republicans' control of
Congress and the White House, he should perhaps listen carefully
to the American people, who raised their voices in
demonstrations in many American cities last week, demanding
withdrawal from Iraq and attention to domestic issues such as
health insurance, education, job opportunities, and fuel prices.

"Will Hayden manage to rearrange the CIA house? Or is this
unimportant as long as he works under National Intelligence
Director John Negroponte, who enjoys the president's acceptance
and strong support?"

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

"Why Hayden as CIA Director?"

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

Sa'id Musallam, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra,
wrote (5/10): "Hayden's nomination as CIA chief is expected to
draw strong opposition, first because he is a military officer
and second because of his role in the eavesdropping scandal....

"There are two reasons behind President Bush's insistence on
nominating Hayden as CIA director despite the opposition and
concerns:

"The first is his willingness to continue the eavesdropping


program and to scrutinize the information that comes from
intelligence sources while the US Administration is busy with
foreign crises that have been exacerbated by false and
misleading information.
"The second is the determination by Bush and his team to find
further excuses and pretexts, through the analysis of secret
information that Hayden is skilled at controlling, using, and
fabricating, to continue the plan of hegemony and foreign
intervention, and even to suppress attempts by some local
quarters to make new revelations that help increase the American
scandals."

Seche