Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DAMASCUS3136
2006-06-27 11:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

Damascus Media Reaction: President Asad's interview with

Tags:  KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9992
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6060
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3918
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2448
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INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6854
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 03136 

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
al-Hayat, Palestinian Territories, Iraq (6/27)


UNCLAS DAMASCUS 03136

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
al-Hayat, Palestinian Territories, Iraq (6/27)



1. Summary: All Syrian papers published President Asad's
comprehensive interview with London-based al-Hayat about
developments in the region. On impressions regarding retreat of
the Arab role in the region, in the face of the growing Iranian
role, President Asad said: "We have to define whether the Arab
role still exists or not," I don't think we have seen an
important Arab role except in form" he added.

Asad said that, in most of the Syrian political discourse, he has
"called for dialogue, especially with America," but "so far this
Administration does not look capable" of conducting such a
dialogue. He denied any rupture with France and said it has to
do only with President Jacque Chirac.
Asad denied any substantial conflict with Jordan. "There are
views in politics that can differ," he said. He said Syria is
ready to "give any possible assistance" to facilitate withdrawing
the "occupation forces from Iraq." Hamas, he said, must be given
a chance to conduct an internal dialogue.
He confirmed that Damascus' doors "remain open" for Premier Fouad
Siniora, MP Saad Hariri and MP Michel Aoun. "Syria has welcomed
Siniora's visit twice but he didn't come," he said, adding that
Syria has no personal problems with Hariri, and Damascus' doors
are open for Aoun. "We used to have troubled relations with Aoun
... but now he doesn't attempt to attack Syria, and on some
points he defends it," Asad said. He added that Syria had
proposed establishing diplomatic ties with Lebanon a long time
ago, but "we refuse to bow to pressure."

End of summary.


2. Selected Headlines:

"President Asad says in a comprehensive interview to London
-based al-Hayat: Syria is ready to provide assistance for the
departure of occupation forces from Iraq. What we care about is
Palestinian unity. Takfiri groups are directly linked with events
in Iraq. The reform process goes ahead with great strides; the
economic situation is the priority. Dialogue with US must be
direct" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/27)


"Lebanese calls to protect the resistance and reshuffle the
cabinet. Lahoud: There are schemes to divide Lebanon and impose
settlement of Palestinian refugees" (Government-owned Tishreen,
6/27)
"Israeli PM Olmert orders his forces to get ready to invade the
Gaza Strip. Palestinians: Releasing Israel soldier is
conditional on releasing Palestinian prisoners" (Government-owned
Al-Thawra, 6/27)
"Olmert threatens to assassinate Khaled Mashaal" (Government-
owned Tishreen, 6/27)

"Vice President Al-Hashimi: The US project in Iraq has failed.
The occupation seeks a way of salvation. The Arab League calls on
Iraqis to give a chance to the national reconciliation
initiative" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/27)


3. Editorial Block Quotes:

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

"A Visa to Damascus"

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

Abd-al-Fattah al-Awad, chief editor of government-owned Al-
Thawra, wrote (6/27): "A visit to Damascus requires a visa of
trust and credibility, which some people still do not have...."

"Those who lost the key to Damascus and went to Paris and
Washington to search for it will find nothing but further loss.
The keys to Damascus have always been in the hands of Syrians.
And those who think the Beirut-Damascus road passes through New
York have certainly not seen the maps of geography, politics,
and logic....

"Those who traveled to capitals of the world in search of

anything that would hurt Damascus returned with failure and
defeat.... The visit to Damascus is not a lifeline or an exit
from the state of bankruptcy of the current that deviated from
Lebanon's interests because of whims and personal interests....
At
tempts are still being made to harm Syria.... The Syrian
people do not believe that those who competed in their efforts
to harm Syria are trustworthy....

"Syrian positions are more than clear. The doors of Damascus are
still open, but with a visa of trust and credibility. Perhaps
the success of the dialogue conference will be the appropriate
point for opening the doors to Damascus...."

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

"That Is Why We Bet on the Palestinian Dialogue"

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

As'ad Abbud, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra,
wrote (6/27): "We believe that the attack on an Israeli military
post south of the Gaza Strip on 25 June is indeed a
distinguished operation that will help Palestinians who are
holding a dialogue to overcome the political trap. For none of
the parties to this dialogue accept that the resistance can be
scorned or Palestinian blood be taken lightly. We believe this
is true in Fatah's case just as it is true in the case of
HAMAS....

"Naturally, I do not impose the resistance option on anyone, and
this is a philosophy that the Palestinian brothers greatly
helped to teach us. But I assume that all those who are taking
part in the dialogue see clearly that the independent
Palestinian state cannot become a reality, even on a single inch
of Palestine's soil, except through resistance. There is a
pressing need for the Palestinian dialogue to succeed.... The
resistance is the response and the supporter and justifier of
the dialogue. It is primarily a political action, despite its
armed military nature....

"The existence and continuation of resistance and its
effectiveness in preventing the stability of the occupation is
the way to end the occupation...."

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

"National Alignment"

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

Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen,
commented (6/27): "The intra-Palestinian dialogue must succeed,
in light of the daily Israeli terrorism and the absence of
international justice with respect to the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict.... Whether the Israeli defense minister implements his
threat to retaliate for the Gaza attack or not, the open
aggression did not need to use the Palestinian response as an
excuse. Through their successive governments, the leaders of the
occupation have had no objective other than killing and
displacing the largest possible number of Palestinians to
complete their hostile settlement plan....

"The delicate situation Palestinians are facing dictates that
the means of confrontation be reinforced and that national
cohesion be achieved. It also dictates a unified Arab position
to support the Palestinians on all levels...."

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

"The Hadithah Massacre and International Responsibility"

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

Muhammad Khair al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned
Al-Thawra, wrote (6/27): "The Hadithah massacre showed the real
face of American occupation as an occupation not different in

its despotism and ugliness from any other bloody occupation the
nations of the earth have known."

"Iraqis, Arabs, and international legal organizations, and
indeed the entire world community, must take international legal
action and set up an international judicial commission to
investigate the massacre and all the crimes of the occupation
that are being revealed....

"All those involved, military and politicians, should be brought
before an international tribunal...."

Seche