Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Sudan, Lebanon, Olmert's

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 002327

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/Sudan, Lebanon, Olmert's
Visit to US, Iraq (5/17)



1. Summary: Syrian papers reported the visit to Damascus by al-
Sammani al-Wasila al-Smmani, Sudanese Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs, and his meeting with Vice President Shara who
confirmed Syria's relief over signing the Abuja peace treaty.
During the meeting Shara stressed Syria's support for Sudan as
well as the Arab-African efforts to solve the Darfur issue. Both
sides discussed the international situations and latest
developments in the Arab arena.

On Lebanon, papers reported that President Lahoud's meeting with
former Lebanese Minister Wadi al-Khazen, during which he
reiterated the importance of continuing the Lebanese National
Dialogue to find solutions to the pending problems and issues.
President Lahoud said "dialogue is the only way to keep stability
in the country." He called on all participants in the conference
to offer all possible efforts and work seriously to achieve
progress in the national dialogue. He also called for extending
the agenda of the dialogue to include economic and social issues,
asserting the importance of the participation of all the Lebanese
in the economic and financial policy based on the outcome of
general national reconciliation.

Papers also reported that the Syrian Nationalist Socialist Party
in Lebanon has underlined that Lebanon cannot isolate itself from
its firm national and pan-Arab stances or from its position at
the heart of the Arab-Israeli struggle. In a statement the party
called for gearing all efforts and capabilities to face sedition
plots targeting Lebanon. The statement also criticized honoring
John Bolton, US Ambassador to the United Nations, by the so-
called March 14th forces, "there is no justification for such
honoring and such a step must only be received by condemnation,"
the statement added.

All papers reported that the Permanent Office of Arab Lawyers'
Union expressed full support for Syria in the face of pressures
and plots aiming to impose solutions of surrender upon Syria. A
statement issued by the Union rejected any kind of politicization
of the UN investigation into the crime that claimed the life of
Rafik al-Hariri, "Syria's sovereignty should never be touched,"
the statement underlined. The office also expressed rejection of
Zionist practices against Syrian citizens in the Golan and all
Israeli measures to annex the Golan.

End of summary.


2. Selected Headlines:

"Vice President Shara and Sudanese FM Al-Sammani discuss the
international situation and latest Arab developments. Shara
confirms Syria's support of Sudan and expresses relief over the
Aboja peace agreement" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/17)

"The presidency file is removed from the Lebanese National
Dialogue agenda. The issue of Hizbollah arms is to be removed
from the dialogue agenda too. Lahoud: Washington and Paris will
not give preference to Lebanon over Israel" (Government-owned Al-
Ba'th, 5/17)

"Al-Saniora rejects considering the anniversary of liberating
south Lebanon as a national holiday" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th,
5/17)

"Iraqi PM Al-Malki finalizes his cabinet and will refer it to the
Parliament today. Three US soldiers, 23 Iraqis killed in Baghdad"
(Government-owned Tishreen, 5/17)

"Olmert adopts misleading step prior to his visit to Washington.
Abbas reminds the European Parliament of its commitments and
confirms Israeli obstacles to peace" (Government-owned Tishreen,
5/17)

"Palestinian PM Hanieh calls on Europeans to take courageous
positions" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/17)

"Arab lawyers reiterate support for Syria and reject Zionist
practices in the Golan" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/17)



3. Editorial Block Quotes:

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

"Why the Draft Resolution?"

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

Umar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen,
commented (5/17): "What drives President Bush's administration
to escalate its hostility toward Syria? And what are the
dimensions of the American attempts to obtain a Security Council
resolution calling for the establishment of diplomatic relations
between Syria and Lebanon...?

"Damascus repeatedly announced that its doors are open to
everyone to examine the remaining small problems, including the
demarcation of the border between the two countries. But some
instigators wager on the foreign factor and fabricate escalation
inside Lebanon and in Lebanon's relations with Syria. The
climate of the previous national dialogue sessions reflected
this and showed that these people are part of a plan that has
been accurately prepared since the adoption of Resolution 1559
to link Lebanon to the Israeli-American alliance.

"Amid this tense climate inside Lebanon and in its relations
with Syria, the US Administration finds its chance to proceed
with its plan of fragmenting the region and tightening control
over it, to fabricate problems and disputes and take them to the
Security Council with a view to internationalizing even small
issues like the demarcation of borders or the establishment of
diplomatic relations.

"In addition to being an assault on the UN Charter and setting a
serious precedent for the United Nations, whose resolutions are
controlled by the world's only superpower, the draft resolution
that was submitted to the Security Council is another American
way to harm Syria and create problems with it.... Syria has
always sought to implement UN resolutions to serve justice and
safeguard the rights of nations. Needless to say, if those known
resolutions had been implemented, there would have been no
crises in the region, crises caused by the occupation and the
full American support for Israel.

"The US Administration never worked for the sake of Lebanon; its
actions were always meant to serve Israel. This administration
wants Lebanon to serve as a bridge for it to cross toward other
targets that are no longer secret to anyone, especially at this
delicate stage.

"Syria considers the draft resolution a blatant interference in
Syrian-Lebanese relations, and it calls for vigilance amid this
atmosphere where the Bush administration and Israel want to drag
the region, including Lebanon, to the unknown."

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

"Satanic Alliance"

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

Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote
(5/17): "The United States, as usual, will open its arms, eyes,
ears, heart, and weapons arsenals to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert when he visits Washington next week....

"The United States can love Israel as much as it wants. We have
no right to interfere in its domestic affairs. But we, in
return, ask President Bush not to interfere in our domestic
affairs.... There are reports that Olmert will discuss with the
US president the deployment of Lebanese Army in south Lebanon
and the Iranian nuclear crisis and that he will link Iran,
Syria, Hizballah, and the HAMAS-led Palestinian government....

"We realize that Bush and his neoconservatives and the American

intelligence agencies will warmly welcome these Israeli
priorities and adopt them as American priorities, because the
American policy is cooked in the Israeli kitchen. We also
realize that our modest demand -- noninterference in our
domestic affairs in Syria and the Arab countries -- will fall on
deaf American-Israeli ears. This is why we reject and denounce
this hostile, satanic alliance...."

Seche