Damascus Media Reaction: Post-war Maneuvering, Assad

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 004733 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: Post-war Maneuvering, Assad interview, Lebanon, (09/29-30 - 10/01-02) ¶1. Summary: The Syrian press on October 1 and 2 focused on the interview President Assad gave to Spanish daily El Pais. The papers covered Assad's call to start peace negotiations from the point they stopped in 2000. He said that peace could be achieved in 6 months if negotiations resume from that starting point. Assad said that Hezbollah is defending a national cause and not only a religious one. On the international court for the Hariri case, he said that the results of the investigation will determine if such a court is needed. Assad said that the American example of democracy has harmed democracy itself. He added that a European role is essential and the US is not an honest broker of the Peace Process. Papers also covered the speech given by Syria's ambassador to the UN Bashar Jaafari at the UNSC, regarding the Brammertz Report. Jaafari said that Syria's cooperation with the International Commission is further proof that Syria is keen to uncover Hariri's murderers. He called for double checking of all evidence and for trial of those who gave false testimony to the Commission and those who collected such witnesses to mislead public opinion. Papers also covered statements of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud regarding the importance of having a national government in Lebanon. Lahoud described all of those who call for disarming the Lebanese Resistance as "traitors." The press also covered the visit that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning to the region starting Monday. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: In an interview with El Pais, Assad: Trusting Syria is an unavoidable option.... Monitoring the border is just a waste of time because it avoids the Big Solution (Government-owned al Baath, October 2, 2006) Peace will need no more than 6 months if it starts where we stopped (Government-owned Tishreen, October 2, 2006) Asking about the UNSC's ignoring of Israeli crimes against humanity, our UN Ambassador: Brammertz report included positive points. Syria's cooperation with the International Commission underlines its keenness to discover those behind the Hariri assassination (government owned Tishreen 09/30/2006) Israel isolates the town of Anjar under the eyes of UNIFIL, and Ben Eliezer threatens to kill Nasrallah; Lahoud: we shall not accept a French Mandate. He who seeks to disarm the Resistance is a traitor (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) Washington doubles financial aid to the Israeli military establishment (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) A tough campaign against the Republicans and tough elections await them (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) Iraqi President Jalal Talibani: Syria has always been good to us, and I am looking forward to visiting it (government owned Tishreen 10/01/2006) General Hasan Turkmani receives an UNDOF delegation (government owned al Thawra 09/29/2006) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- --- "Merchants of War Do Not Make Peace" -------------- --- Issam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen wrote (9/30/2006) "US Secretary of State Miss Condoleezza Rice is coming to the region on Monday, charged by President George Bush to revive the peace process. "This is a nice, attractive title for the visit. But the truth makes us feel pessimistic rather than optimistic, since we have become accustomed to a crystal clear fact that says: 'Whenever there is a catastrophe, search for America.' "We don't believe that Miss Rice and the Bush Administration are really interested in a just and comprehensive peace. Otherwise, how can we explain the fact that the US has given up its support for the MEPP for six years." "Rice is coming to a region that has been burned by US policy and devastated by US arms. And behold: here is the Bush Administration, that is only good at the language of war and chaos, talking now about peace and stability. But is there anybody who will believe it?" "We do hope that the US Administration is honest, when talking about peace, but all indications show the opposite, since US policies have not changed.... We do not think that the merchants of war are capable of making peace. That is why we only expect from Rice's visit more escalation against all forces that refuse US dictates.... Will Rice and its Administration disappoint us this time?" -------------- "What does Rice have in her Bag?" -------------- Mohamad Kheir al Jamali, an op-ed writer in government-owned al- Thawra, wrote (10/02) "Rice's trip to the region does not aim to deal with the region's problems or to revive the Peace Process. It aims only to rescue US policy and extricate it from the difficult calamity that it finds itself in after its Middle Eastern project has failed in Iraq and Lebanon and is about to fail in Sudan. It also aims to abort the historic victory which the resistance has achieved against Israel." "The US tactic to achieve this goal is divide Arabs into two camps: moderates and extremists, hoping that this will deepen the division in the Arab world, which might help the US and Israel to revive the Middle Eastern Project and to overcome its defeat." Corbin