Syria/Venezuela, Syria/Norway, Syria/Italy, Syria/Iraq,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000213 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/Venezuela, Syria/Norway, Syria/Italy, Syria/Iraq, Syria/US, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia/Iran (3/5) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers on March 5 reported the March 4 visit to Damascus of Venezuelan FM Nicolas Maduro and his meeting with Deputy FM Faisal Miqdad. The purpose of the visit was to boost bilateral relations and carry out agreements signed during the visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Damascus last August. In a second meeting on March 4, Deputy FM Miqdad discussed with Norwegian Foreign Ministry Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs Sven Seveie the latest developments in the region, particularly in the Palestinian arena, and efforts to form a Palestinian national unity government. During the meeting, Miqdad underlined the importance of the international community backing efforts to form the national unity government by lifting the siege on Palestinians. The Norwegian official expressed his country's appreciation for the efforts of Syria to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation and ease the suffering of the Palestinian people. On Syrian-Italian relations, papers reported Information Minister Mohsen Bilal's meeting on March 4 with an Italian media delegation headed by Laura Boldrini, Senior Regional Public Information Officer at the UN High Commission for Refugees in Rome. Bilal emphasized that Syria is doing its best to help the Iraqi people restore security and stability in order to realize a unified, free and independent Iraq. Bilal said that what Syria has been offering Iraqi refugees stems from its belief in its Arab role, and not from a desire to please anybody. Minister Bilal reiterated the importance of Euro-Mediterranean relations, particularly between Syria and the EU, and the role that could be played by the EU to extricate Iraq from its catastrophe. For their part, members of the delegation expressed sympathy with the humanitarian situation of Iraqi refugees in Syria, voicing appreciation for Syria's efforts to help and ease their suffering. Papers also reported the visit to Damascus by Iraqi Vice President Tarek al-Hashemi scheduled for March 5. Mr. Hashemi will hold talks with Syrian senior officials on the latest developments in the region, particularly the situation in Iraq, and bilateral relations. On Syrian/US relations, papers reported that Minister of Expatriates Dr. Buthaina Sha'ban received on March 4 a delegation of US intellectuals and businessmen headed by one Richard Miri. Sha'ban confirmed to the delegation that Syria is doing its best to achieve security and stability in the region in order to realize a just and comprehensive peace in line with international resolutions. Dr. Sha'ban criticized US policy in the region, saying that "It is based on stirring up chaos in a manner that serves Israel's policy." She indicated that "the Arab and American peoples are paying the price for these policies and wars." For their part, members of the delegation asserted the importance of their visit to listen directly to the constructive viewpoints in Syria in order to convey them to US public opinion. Mr. Miri said he hoped that dialogue with Syria would continue in the interest of both sides and of security and stability in the region. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "The Arab League Council meeting in Cairo endorses agenda of the Arab Summit and reiterates support for the Mecca Accord and the reactivation of Iraqi reconciliation. It confirms Syria's right to restoration of the occupied Golan and rejects US unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) "Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad receives Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan Foreign Minister, and Sven Seveie, Norwegian Foreign Ministry Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/5) "Minister of Information Bilal to an Italian media delegation: What Syria offers to Iraqi refugees is not for the purpose of satisfying any other side" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/5) "Minister of Expatriates Sha'ban to US intellectuals and businessmen: US policy spreads chaos in the region to serve Israel" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/5) "Iraqi Vice President al-Hashemi is due in Damascus today" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/5) "Al-Maliki does not rule out that the Baghdad conference will be basis for regional dialogues. Tehran expresses hope for the success of the Baghdad Conference" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) "An imminent reshuffle in the Iraqi government. Three US soldiers killed in al-Anbar battles" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/5) "Israeli reinforcements along border with Lebanon. Lebanese national powers warn the governing team not to seek power through aggression. Parliament Speaker Berri sees an end for the Lebanese crisis" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) "The Arab League refuses to reconsider the Arab peace initiative. Israelis arrive in the US to convince Washington to continue its objection to the Palestinian government" (Independent Al-Wattan, 3/5) "Saudi-Iranian agreement to confront attempts that aim to partition the Islamic world. Ahmadinejad: We realize the threats quite well" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 3/5) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- "An American Window" -------------- Maha Sultan, a political editor in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (3/5): "The US Administration has finally decided to stop its intransigence and accept the calls upon it to open up diplomatically and politically to Iran and Syria and sit with them at one table in the Baghdad conference on 10 March, with the hope of containing the Iraqi security nightmare that haunts Bush at home and abroad and in his relations with the region and the world. "But the various interpretations, whether positive or negative, do not negate the high importance of the American step. All sensible people in the world agree that this is absolutely a step in the right direction, and that although it is coming late, it will have its impact on the solution to the Iraqi crisis and the achievement of security and stability for the Iraqi people. "Whether the conference succeeds, achieves some success, or comes up with nothing, its holding in and of itself opens a window in the American wall not only with regard to Iraq but also with regard to all the other issues of the region, especially since all the parties in the region want and call for dialogue and express willingness to make every possible effort to find solutions to the crises of the region in cooperation with the United States. This would help the United States rapidly improve its image in the region and the world and thus achieve much better results than those achieved by its experts who are assigned this job. This would be a gain for the United States, just as it would be a gain for us.... "The optimism about this open American window does not remove the pessimism to which we are accustomed in the region, as the talk is about the Bush administration, the strongest supporter of Israel among the American administrations. The president in the White House is surrounded by his conservative advisers, who are strongly loyal to Israel and who prevent him from seeing clearly, leaving him to see only through Israeli eyes." -------------- "Mosad's Claws between Lebanon and Iraq" -------------- Sa'dallah Barakat, a columnist in government-owned Al-Ba'th, commented (3/5): "There have been reports that a network working for the Israeli Mosad, but under the name of a European country, was unveiled in Lebanon.... "Israel's interference in the domestic affairs of other countries and encroachment upon their sovereignty is nothing new. Also, it is not new for the Israeli Mosad to disguise itself behind the intelligence of other countries, because Israel is used to violating sovereignty and disdaining its political friends and partners.... "We fear that the Lebanese governing team, which turns a blind eye to such penetration, might be fooled by this exposed Israeli game and believe, or try to make the Lebanese believe, that Israel is not involved in this intelligence network.... "The aim of both Israel and the United States is to fragment Lebanon and turn it into a hideout for conspiracies against Syria...." -------------- "US Memory" -------------- Ahmad Dawwa, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawrah, commented (3/5): "The United States is planning to obtain a resolution accusing Hizbollah of using civilians as human shields during the war in the summer. "The Bush administration knows well who destroyed bridges, blocked roads, targeted buses, and threatened civilians with air raids. It also knows that despite all this, more than one million Lebanese left south Lebanon during the war. This proves that the American accusation against the resistance does not at all reflect American concern for Lebanese civilians. On the contrary, this is another aggression against them because they embraced the resistance.... "The party responsible for the death of a large number of civilians during the July war is the US Administration, which prevented the international community from stopping the Israeli aggression during its first days, in the hope that it would give birth to the 'new Middle East'.... "Israel is behind this new US effort but we must not ignore the role of the Lebanese who jumped on the American bandwagon and who are appealing night and day for American financial, military, and political help to weaken the resistance, which, along with the other nationalist forces, is awaiting their plans, which seek to turn Lebanon into a backyard for Israel and a barricade for the failed American plan in the region.... "This American position dashes hopes that the Bush administration might return to its senses and undermines the credibility of any American move regarding the other issues of the region." Corbin