SYRIA'S INTERIOR MINISTRY WRAPS UP INVESTIGATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 004846

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV ASEC
SUBJECT: SYRIA'S INTERIOR MINISTRY WRAPS UP INVESTIGATION
OF ATTACK


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary: An Interior Ministry official announced
October 5 to the official media that it had concluded its
investigation into the September 12 attack on the U.S.
Embassy in Damascus. The impetus for the attack was U.S.
policies in the region, according to the Ministry official.
Two suspects remain in custody and will be brought to
justice, according to the official press. As of October 10,
the Ministry had yet to share the investigation's findings
with the Embassy and no charges have been publicly filed
against the suspects. In an October 9 meeting on Embassy
security, the chief of Damascus Police Services told the RSO
that he could not share the investigation with the Embassy
and that we should go through the MFA. End Summary.


2. (SBU) An Interior Ministry official announced October 5
to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that it had
concluded its investigation into the September 12 attack on
the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. Four Syrians from the Damascus
suburb of Al-Tal carried out the attack, according to SANA,
which named the assailants as brothers Abdul-Raouf Saleh and
Bilal Saleh, another relative Samir Abdul-Ghani Saleh, and
Ramzi Atef Shalabi. Abdul-Raouf started planning the
operation with his brother in 2004 while both were working in
Saudi Arabia and taking religious lessons from a Saudi
scholar, according to SANA. Abdul-Raouf sent money to other
relatives in Syria, brothers Taher and Anas Saleh, who
arranged during the summer of 2006 for Lebanese smugglers to
transport weapons and explosives into Syria, SANA reported.
On July 20, Abdul-Raouf came to Syria to assemble the bombs,
SANA reported. The attackers planned to storm the embassy
and kill those inside, the report stated.


3. (SBU) The assailants planned to distribute a tape after
the attack to media outlets under the name of Abu-Musa'ab
al-Zarquawi Brigade," despite the lack of any links to
al-Qaeda or any other foreign extremist organizations, SANA
reported. The assailants chose the name to link their act to
terrorism that "resulted from the U.S. anti-Arab and Muslim
policy," according to SANA. The Ministry official added
that, "Their extremism has been increased by the political
conditions, which affect the region and the U.S. unlimited
support to Israel against Arab and Muslims, particularly in
Palestine and south Lebanon, the matter that facilitated to
convince the others to become involved in extremist acts."


4. (SBU) All four assailants were killed as a result of the
attack, in addition to security officer Nawfal Khalil and
citizen Ahmad Breikhan, SANA reported. Ten Arab and Syrian
citizens were wounded, according to media reports. Taher and
Anas Saleh were arrested after the attack and will be brought
to justice, according to the Ministry source. (There have
been no charges publicly filed against the Saleh brothers as
of this week.)


5. (C) As of October 10, the Ministry has yet to share the
investigation's findings with the Embassy. On October 9, RSO
met with the chief of Damascus Police Services Maj. Gen.
Mutafa Sukari to continue informal cooperation on Embassy
security measures (septel). Sukari discussed security
enhancements for the Embassy, but said that he was not
authorized to share the official investigation and that an
official request should go through the MFA. (Note: Embassy
has officially requested the MFA to obtain full SARG
cooperation on the investigation.)


6. (C) Comment: We will continue to press for full access
to the investigative report. The Interior Ministry statement
continues the SARG line of blaming the attack on U.S.
policies in the region, but it adds indirect criticism of
U.S. ally and current Syrian critic Saudi Arabia. We also
take note of the specific reference to weapons smuggling from
Lebanon into Syria, at a time when Syria is under intense
scrutiny for possible arms smuggling to Lebanon's Hizballah.
These connections suggest that, no matter who planned and
carried out the September attack, the SARG is seizing, as it
has with similar events in the past, this opportunity to both
sharply criticize its enemies and to underscore once again
Syria's belief that it has a fundamental role in regional
stability.
CORBIN