Syria/Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iran

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000200 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/R/MR:STHIBEAULT AND JMCCARTER, VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, AZAIBACK, AND AFERNANDEZ, IIP/G/NEA-SA MDAVIDSON WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC CENTCOM FOR CCPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY SUBJECT: Syria/Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iran (3/1) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers on Mar. 1 quoted an official source from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs , confirming, on Feb. 28, that Syria will attend the Iraq Neighboring Countries conference that will be held in Baghdad on March 10. Answering a question by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) about American participation in the meeting along with Security Council permanent member states, the MFA source said: "Discussions with the United States over Iraq constitute a partial step in the right direction, which is represented by dialogue over all the problems of the region because they are interlinked and affect each other negatively or positively." Papers also cited a SANA interview on Feb. 28 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in which he confirmed Syria's positive role in resolving the issues of the Middle East, whether the Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq or Lebanon, and expressed Russia's willingness to continue political dialogue with Syria in order to find solutions to these problems. On regional issues, Lavrov stressed the need for Palestinians and Israelis to overcome the state of distrust between them and hold negotiations based on the Roadmap, the international Quartet's decisions, the Arab peace initiative, the Madrid principles, and relevant UN resolutions. On Lebanon, papers reported that General Security in Lebanon has uncovered a spy network that works for a European state spying on Hizbollah. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "Syria confirms participation in the Baghdad meeting: Discussions with the United States over Iraq constitute a partial step in the right direction" (Government-owned Tisrheen, 3/1) "Conflicting parties will attend the Baghdad meeting. All parties will attend, but optimists are few" (Independent al-Wattan, 3/1) "Killing of two US marines, one British soldier and scores of Iraqis after two weeks of enforcing the new security plan in Baghdad" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) "In a private dialogue with Russian FM Lavrov: Syria assumes an important role; our relations with Syria are witnessing gradual development" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) "The Lebanese opposition warns against Israeli sabotage . A spy network working for a European state spying on Hizbollah was unveiled in Lebanon. Jeajea will stand trial in two weeks on charges of cooperation with the Zionist enemy" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) "Seizure of Israeli arms dispatched to Junblatt and Jeajea" (Independent Al-Wattan, 3/1) "The Opposition: The governing team is begging America to partition Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/1) "Three Palestinians martyred in an expanded Israeli incursion into Nablus" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) "Mashaal refuses to acknowledge Israel, so he was not received by Putin" (Independent al-Wattan, 3/1) "Tehran accuses the West of supporting Kurdish rebels and Washington accuses Tehran of training Iraqi rebels" (Independent Al-Wattan, 3/1) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- "The Lowly Principle" -------------- Abd-al-Fattah Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (3/1): "Until recently, and prior to the arrival of the Bush administration, Arab discourse spoke about Israel, behind which the United States stands. Now, however, we may have to be more precise, and it won't be unusual if the talk becomes the United States, behind which Israel stands! "It was Israel that raided the Iraqi reactor while the United States stood in support behind it. Today, Israel wants 'permission' to carry out its dirty mission, but this time in Iran. "We have to think hard, as Arabs, when we discuss the Iranian subject. Israel is not outside the picture, and any hint otherwise will no doubt be misleading. "The worst thing about the Bush administration is that it chooses absolutely the worst of several options.... "It chose the worst method for fighting terrorism, that increased rather than reduced it. It chose the principle of preemptive war and turned the world into a minority of killers and a majority of victims, whether in the figurative or real sense. "It chose the occupation of Iraq and it drowned itself and damaged and divided Iraq. It chose to support the less popular governments in the region, as it came for the sake of false 'democracy.' "It chose to make the White House the place where it receives the dirtiest persons, especially from Lebanon and other states.... "It chose the language of threats and excluded dialogue and mutual cooperation and understanding. "There has always been its worse choice, which is its full bias toward Israel's aggressiveness and its alliance with it. "If the hot issue now concerns Iran, we need to think with a cool head. "As usual, the United States' choice will be setting the region on fire even more than it already is. "The 'lowly principle' that encourages preemptive war gives you an idea about the method of managing crises in the US manner. "Therefore, we should not be surprised if the United States wages several conflicts in the world, some of which are crystal clear, and many of which are covered, sometimes by diplomacy and sometimes by fear. "On the basis of this US record in tackling issues, we must not be too optimistic, especially since the language in which the region's crises are discussed contains a lot of Hebrew sentiment, and we know very well how much that sentiment cherishes and benefits from causing wars, conflicts, and sedition." -------------- "We Lose, So They Win" -------------- Khalid al-Ashhab, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawrah, wrote (3/1): "There are signs that the US Administration might commit its third folly and fatal adventure by attacking Iran.... "The United States might win or lose a war against Iran, which is not important so long as the battlefield is thousands of kilometers away from its borders and national security. But Arabs who are encouraging the United States, from under the table, to attack Iran because of the Iranian nuclear program will definitely lose, whether Americans win or lose.... "They will lose money and wealth under the banner of financing the game of war. They will lose sovereignty and independent decision-making under the banner of protection. If they win anything, it will be only the fire of sedition and the war of sects and groups, and above that the element of time, that will drive them back to their era of ignorance." -------------- "Where Is the European Role?" -------------- Omar Jaftali, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (3/1): "Europeans are not translating into action their calls to lift the siege on Palestinians after the Mecca Accord.... "It is surprising that the European role remains hostage to the American approach, which is illogical and far from the spirit of international resolutions and conventions.... "Europeans must take practical measures to help end the Israeli occupation and to call Israel to account for its violations of and challenges to UN resolutions.... "Peace in the region is in the interest of Europe, not only in the interest of the countries of the region...." -------------- --- "From Instinctive Reaction to Rational Dynamism" -------------- --- Nasr Shamali, an op-ed writer in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (3/1): "The Israeli army has carried out extensive maneuvers in occupied Golan. The aim of these maneuvers is to implement the lessons learned from the latest war against Lebanon.... These are being carried out at a time when Israelis and Americans are unable to control the course, size, duration, and outcome of combat operations. This is drastically different from their situation in previous stages, during which they were always certain of victory.... "We, however, must pay attention to the fact that this stage of the open war against our nation and country has not only made the conditions of the aggressors more difficult and their losses greater, but it has also obviously made our conditions more difficult and our sacrifices greater.... "It is very clear today that the Zionist-US enemy is dying to restore the situation to what it was before: inequality and imbalance on the battlefield and the lack of rational dynamism and prevalence of instinctive reaction by the party suffering the aggression. That is why we can see it mobilizing all its infiltrations into our society to portray the issue of war from regional, ethnic, sectarian, and other perspectives...." Corbin