Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/UAE, NAM Summit,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 02466 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/UAE, NAM Summit, Syria/China, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories (5/30) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers reported Vice-President Farouk al- Shara's visit to the UAE and his meeting with His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the UAE, who received a message from President Asad regarding the latest developments in the region. Shara and Sheikh Khalifa reviewed developments in the region, particularly in Iraq and Palestine, in addition to bilateral relations. Shara touched upon the UAE's businessmen forum scheduled for Damascus next month and the prospects it would open for investments in Syria. Later, Shara met Prime Minister and Governor of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum. Papers also reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad conferred in Malaysia with his South African Counterpart Aziz Bahad on proposed topics for the agenda of the ministerial Conference of the Non-Aliened Movement (NAM) Coordinating Bureau. Mr. Miqdad also met Amr Mousa, SecGen of the Arab League, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Qurabi, Iran's Foreign Minister Mottaki and Fujieh Namibia, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General. The meetings dealt with viewpoints about proposed topics for the agenda of the ministerial conference, as well as the situation in the Middle East. Papers also reported that President Asad attended a field maneuver conducted by one of the Syrian armed formations. President Asad was briefed on the stages of the maneuver and its objectives. He praised the efforts of the officers and soldiers, and gave directions to continue qualitative training to improve the combat preparedness of the armed forces. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "President Asad attends a field maneuver conducted by Syrian armed formations and gives his directions to continue qualitative training to improve the combat preparedness of Syrian armed forces" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/30) "Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the UAE, receives President Asad's message conveyed by Vice-President Farouk al-Shara on the latest developments in the region. Conference of UAE Businessmen in Damascus opens new prospects for investments" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/30) "Beijing gives a high evaluation to Syria's stance to boost peace in the region. Foreign Minister Walid al-Mou'allem discusses with his Chinese counterpart Li Zhao Xing political developments and importance of enhancing the Syrian-Chinese relations" (Government- owned Tishreen, 5/30) "With the participation of a Syrian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad, activities of the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aliened Movement (NAM) begin today in Malaysia" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/30) "Lebanese emphasis on commitment to the arms and defense strategy of the Lebanese resistance. President Lahoud: We are in a state of war with Israel; he who talks of disarming the resistance is a traitor" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/30) "Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace continue. Israeli enhancement along Lebanese-Israeli borders. Hizbollah confirms insistence on resistance" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 5/30) "Two British soldiers killed, two others wounded in Basra, in southern Iraq. Two journalists of US CBS TV network killed along with scores of Iraqis in attacks in Baghdad and Baquba" (Government-owned Tishreen, 5/30) "One Palestinian martyred in Gaza. Conference of Palestinian dialogue has not settled disagreements yet. Al-Zahaar: We will not acknowledge Israel. Livni [Israeli Foreign Minister]: Turkey will not support Olmert's plan on unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 5/30) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- -------------- "Israeli Terrorism Strikes anew in the Lebanese Arena" -------------- -------------- Sa'dallah Barakat, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th, maintained (5/30): "The assassination of Islamic Jihad leader Mahmud al-Majdhub is one of Israel's terrorist crimes in Lebanon.... "Al-Majdhub's killing in South Lebanon was an Israeli attempt to destabilize Lebanon and raise suspicions between the Lebanese and the Palestinian refugees at a time when the file of these refugees is being discussed at the Lebanese national dialogue conference.... There must be serious efforts to prevent Israel from infiltrating Lebanon and spreading its venom in every direction, especially since Mosad agents are moving freely everywhere in Lebanon...." -------------- -------------- "The Judicial Lawsuit against Jumblatt, A Legal Perspective" -------------- -------------- Muhammad Salha, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, said (5/30): "The lawsuit that Syrian citizen Husam al-Din al- Habash filed against Lebanese Deputy Walid Jumblatt should be seen from an objective and legal perspective as a judicial action against a person whom the plaintiff believes committed the crime of insulting the Syrian people and inciting the United States to occupy and destroy Syria.... "This is the citizen's right. The judiciary, as an independent power, took the normal legal procedure to examine the case. The Syrian government did not interfere in this issue in any way.... "Jumblatt's parliamentary immunity does not give him the right to incite the United States to occupy Syria or the right to attack Syria, its president, and its national policy.... "The Syrian citizen has the right to take Jumblatt to court, either a Syrian or Lebanese court.... The lawsuit could have been filed in Lebanon, had the situation in that country been objective and balanced and the judiciary not been under the onslaught of forces that call themselves the majority.... "There are some Lebanese who underestimate the legal action against Jumblatt, saying that the memoranda of the Syrian judiciary against him will end in the trash can. If these people do not care about their Lebanese judiciary, which every Syrian citizen respects, it is not their right to show disrespect for the Syrian judiciary." -------------- "No Alternative To Dialogue" -------------- Muhammad Khair al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (5/30): "The Palestinian people need to stick to their national unity and renounce divisions and infighting now more than ever before.... "There is no alternative to accord over the basic issues for the sake of which the Palestinian people have sacrificed tens of thousands of people; namely, liberation, the right of return, and the establishment of a demographically and geographically contiguous independent state.... "The Palestinian factions took a very good step as they launched national dialogue to work out a unified national program seeking to strengthen steadfastness and deepen national unity.... This steadfastness is needed to confront the political and economic hurricane that Palestinians are facing.... The dialogue, however, should not be content merely with freezing the differences, but should come up with decisive solutions to them...." -------------- "Injustice, For How Long?" -------------- Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (5/30): "The Israeli government is using the time factor and absolute American support to complete the Judaization of Jerusalem and annex the largest possible amount of the West Bank within the implementation of Ehud Olmert's unilateral withdrawal plan.... "The plan prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state and isolates Palestinians in a number of cantons. If we add to this the international siege and the Israeli military siege on the Palestinian people and the daily terrorist operations against them, we will find that the final plan seeks to uproot the largest possible number of Palestinians and complete the transfer process after turning the life of the Palestinians into an unbearable hell.... All this is taking place under the eyes of the international community.... Why all this injustice to Palestinians? Where is the United Nations, which has the responsibility of protecting nations' rights...?" Seche