TFLE01: SYRIA SITREP 03 AS OF 1300 LOCAL,

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 003490

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV SY LE
SUBJECT: TFLE01: SYRIA SITREP 03 AS OF 1300 LOCAL,
TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2006

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (S) Summary: The Ba'ath Party's highest policy-making
body met July 17 and urged the SARG to prepare for all
possibilities in view of Israel's continued bombardment of
Lebanon, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency
(SANA). The SARG has rejected a proposed visit to Syria by UN
envoy Terje Roed-Larsen as a member of SYG's special
mediation team, based on the regime's assessment that
Roed-Larsen will merely pressure Syria to meet Israeli
demands, according to a regional news report. The Consular
Section serviced 72 American Citizen Services (ACS) walk-ins
on July 17. An estimated 17,000 persons, who fled Lebanon to
Syria, had departed Damascus via its international airport as
of July 16, which in recent days has seen at least 75 extra
scheduled flights and 15 private charters, according to
regional news reports. End Summary.

POLITICAL/MILITARY


2. (SBU) The following are political updates:

-- The Ba'ath Party's Regional Command met July 17 and urged
the SARG to prepare for all possibilities in view of Israel's
continued bombardment of Lebanon, according to the official
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The Command's leadership
stressed that the resistance has the "legitimate rights in
using all means and ways to liberate its lands and restore
the usurped rights," according to SANA. The Command's
leadership also "reviewed the situations of the Lebanese
brothers who come from the areas shelled and destroyed by the
barbaric Israeli aggression and instructed that all forms of
aid be offered to them to meet all of their needs," according
to SANA.

-- The SARG has rejected a proposed visit to Syria by UN
envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, based on the regime's assessment
that Roed-Larsen will merely pressure Syria to meet Israeli
demands, according to a report in al-Hayat newspaper.

-- The Syria-based SYG of the Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council,
Nasri al-Khoury, said that Syria was sending non-military
supplies to Lebanon to help respond to Israeli attacks,
according to Reuters reports. Khoury added that Syrian
authorities have also waived airport and port fees for aid
bound to Lebanon, Reuters reported.

-- The Kuwait Red Crescent Society's first shipment of food
stuffs and medical supplies arrived in Syria July 15 bound
for Lebanon.


3. (S) The DAO reported that, as of the afternoon of July
17, Syrian units continued to disperse defensively in and out
of garrison areas as precautionary measures against potential
Israeli air strikes. Air defense units remained at a state
of increased readiness. DAO also observed a few spontaneous
pro-Hizballah activities last night - primarily vehicles with
Hizballah flags driving up and down the main roads or groups
of 20 to 40 Syrians parading with flags and chanting
pro-Hizballah slogans. These activities did not appear to be
government sponsored, but rather spontaneous events that
remain controlled, non-threatening and "festive."

CONSULAR


4. (U) The following are consular updates:

-- The Consular Section serviced 72 ACS walk-ins on July 17.

-- An estimated 17,000 persons, who fled Lebanon to Syria,
had departed Damascus via its international airport as of
July 16, according to regional media. According to al-Hayat
newspaper, Europeans who had fled the turmoil in Lebanon to
Syria and subsequently left Damascus by air included: 170
Norwegian citizens on a July 17 charter flight, 700 Danes
(with another 1,900 still waiting to leave),and 300 Dutch.
Germany was planning to transfer up to 500 German citizens by
land from Lebanon to Syria and then by air to Germany,
according to al-Hayat. Another 200 Germans who had arrived
earlier in Damascus were due to leave the morning of July 18
by private German charter, according to al-Hayat.

-- In recent days, at least 75 extra scheduled flights and 15
private charters have left Damascus International Airport,

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with airport authorities opening up an auxiliary departure
hall normally dedicated once a year for passengers making the
annual pilgrimage to Mecca, according to al-Hayat.

-- Post is reaching out to airlines for updates on flights
out of Syria. A British Airways (BA) official reported that
the airline will have one flight out of the Syrian city of
Aleppo on July 18 and 19. Passengers traveling from Damascus
will be bussed to Aleppo, the official said. Austrian Air
has added flights on July 18 and 19 out of Damascus. KLM
reconfigured its plane for an early morning July 18 flight to
get more people on it.

-- A Ministry of Tourism representative is meeting daily with
officials from hotel chains in Syria to discuss housing
solutions for the flood of people fleeing the crisis in
Lebanon, according to business contacts.

ECONOMIC


5. (C) The following are economic updates:

-- Officials of international companies based in Syria, such
as Total, Petro-Canada, and Deloitte-Touche, said they were
consumed with evacuating their representatives from Lebanon
to Syria, as well as contingency planning in the event of the
spread of the Lebanon-Israel conflict to Syria.

SECHE