CODEL PELOSI MEETS SYRIA'S PRESIDENT ASAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAMASCUS 000389



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU



E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2017

TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SY

SUBJECT: CODEL PELOSI MEETS SYRIA'S PRESIDENT ASAD



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



1. (C) Summary: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and 13 members

of her delegation met April 4 in Damascus with Syrian

President Bashar Al-Asad. They discussed the conflict in

Iraq, Lebanon, possibilities for a renewed Middle East Peace

Process, Iran, and, during the meeting and a follow-on lunch

in the Old City, the lack of free expression in Syria and the

plight of Syrian political prisoners. End Summary.



2. (C) Visiting House Speaker Pelosi and members of her

delegation met for 50 minutes April 4 at the Presidential

Palace with Syrian President Asad. Aside from Pelosi, those

attending the meeting were the following: the Speaker's

spouse, Paul Pelosi; Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA);

Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV); Congressman Tom Lantos

(D-CA); Congressman David Hobson (R-OH); Congresswomen Louise

Slaughter (D-NY); Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN); House

Sergeant at Arms Wilson Livingood; Mike Sheehy, the Speaker's

Assistant for National Security; Nadeam Elshami, the

Speaker's public affairs assistant; Robert King, from

Congressman Lantos' office; Kenny Kraft, from Congressman

Hobson's office; and Air Force escort COL Lori Robinson.

Also attending was the Charge and an Embassy notetaker at the

Codel's request. Attending on the Syrian side was FM Walid

Mu'allim; MFA head of foreign media Bushra Kanafani; and the

Syrian Ambassador to the U.S. Imad Mustapha. Following the

meeting Asad and First Lady Asma Al-Asad hosted a one hour

lunch at a hotel in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City for

the Pelosi delegation, attended by the Syrian FM, the Syrian

Ambassador to the U.S., and Syrian Expatriates Minister

Buthayna Sha'ban.



3. (C) OPENING REMARKS: In the meeting, the President

welcomed the delegation and stressed his desire for a

Syrian-U.S. dialogue on issues of common interest. "Syria

wants a long-term dialogue, not 1,2,3,4," he said. "We are

ready for dialogue about the big picture, not the details of

the painting. We need to start those discussions today."

The Speaker responded that the main goal for the delegation's

visit was combating terrorism, adding, "The pillars of our

foreign policy are to promote democracy and freedom, stop the

spread of weapons of mass destruction, and lead the Global

War on Terrorism." She stressed that the U.S. wants to use

the power of its ideals to convince Syria to cooperate on

issues, noting the following:



-- On Iraq: The U.S. does not want foreign fighters killing

Iraqis and Coalition soldiers in Iraq. "We would appreciate

it if you could tell us how we can work together to stop

this."



-- On prospects for a renewed peace process: In Israel, the

PM said that he was "pleased that our delegation" was coming

to Syria and that he wanted the Speaker to convey to the

Syrian President the PM's desire for peace talks.



-- On Syrian support for terrorist groups: In Lebanon,

Hizbollah is using force to get its way. Palestinian Hamas

does the same. "I have heard that you could have a meeting of

terrorist leaders in Damascus without anyone flying in."



-- On Israeli prisoners: The U.S is concerned about the two

Israeli prisoners being held by Hizbollah and the one being

held by Palestinians.



-- On the lack of freedom of expression in Syria: "We have

heard from people in this country who want to express

themselves freely." (Note: The Speaker met for 10 minutes

on April 3 with a Syrian opposition leader, Riad Seif, during

a reception at the Ambassador's residence. End Note.)



She closed by saying, "Let's begin to go down this path of

peace together. You have options. We have options. We hope

we can further peace together."



4. (C) SYRIAN PRESIDENT'S RESPONSE: Asad responded by

reiterating a desire for dialogue. He noted Syria's 80-year

history of bad relations with Turkey, then pointed to the

upturn in the Turkish-Syrian relationship, as seen by the

April 3 visit of Turkish PM Erdogan to Syria. With the U.S.,

Syria is looking for strategic--not tactical--cooperation, on

the issues of common interest where both sides were 60 to 70

percent in agreement, he said. The Syrian President noted

the following:



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-- On Iraq: Syria has no interest in a border that permits

the entry of drugs and terrorists. "There are sleeper cells

in Syria. And we are acting against terrorists everday, but

we don't acknowledge it to prevent a fall in public morale

and a threat to tourism and foreign investment." The

President urged a timetable for the withdrawal of Coalition

forces from Iraq and the strengthening of the Iraqi political

process. He reiterated that when the U.S. forces left Iraq

was not the key. The key was the political process in Iraq.

"The biggest problem in Iraq is the Constitution. We have

started in Syria to discuss this; when we have a clearer

vision of common goals, we can all sit together and have a

new Constitution." Syria was not interested in helping the

U.S. Administration, but it would work with Iraqis and "help

America that way."



-- On Lebanon/Hizbollah and Hamas: Syria has interests in

Lebanon as "it spent a lot of money there." Lebanese

sectarianism required a National Unity Government that could

reach consensus on all issues. The solution for Lebanese

political problems is constitutional, which "we have been

working on lately with Hizbollah." Syria's main goal was to

prevent "foreigners intervening in Lebanon," he said,

particularly the way French President Chirac was intervening.

He said he had raised Lebanon with with Turkish PM Erdogan,

when Erdogan visited Syria the previous day.



-- On the peace process: Asad said he had always talked

positively about prospects for a renewed peace process, but

Israel had failed to respond positively. For the first time

in history, the U.S. Administration has failed to push Israel

toward the Arabs, saying that such a move would make the

Syrian President stronger. "This is not true. Israeli PM

Olmert has a 3-percent support rating in Israel, while the

Syrian President had the full support of his people." The

Syrian President had talked to Erdogan about making contacts

with the Israelis to further show his seriousness about peace.



-- On Israeli prisoners: Egypt was taking the lead on

mediating with the Palestinians for the release of Israeli

solider Gilad Shalit, and Syrians did not want to interfere,

"although some people falsely say that Syria was putting

obstacles in front of his release." On the two soldiers held

by Hizbollah, Syria was waiting for the designation of an

international mediator, like the role Germany had saught to

play. (Note: Here the Syrian FM intervened and noted that

in his previous appointment with the Speaker, he had

suggested she appoint a Israeli-authorized member of the U.S.

Congress to mediate between Israel and Hizbollah. The

Speaker called the proposal an "official overture" that she

would raise to the U.S. President and Israeli officials. End

Note.) Asad asserted there were 19 Syrian prisoners in

Israel; the twentieth prisoner had died of leukemia in 2006

after the Israelis failed to treat him.



5. (C) Congressman Waxman pursued the issue of the Israeli

prisoners, pushing for Syrian humanitarian cooperation in

returning the remains of executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen,

Israeli soldier Guy Hever who disappeared on the Golan in the

late 1990s, and Israeli Ron Arad missing since the 1980s.

The Syrian President responded that Arad had gone missing in

Lebanon, that there was no information about Hever, and that,

having been a spy, Cohen's case was a national issue he could

not simply act on without preparing the way. "The Syrian

people would not accept this." All the Israeli cases could

be discussed during peace negotiations. Waxman noted that a

Syrian humanitarian gesture on Israeli prisoners would be a

positive signal to the Israelis of the Syrian regime's

peaceful intentions. "The Israeli PM is not sure of your

sincerity," Waxman said to the Syrian President. Asad

responded that now was not the time for gestures but for

action. Asad said Syria proved its desire for peace with the

negotiations in the 1990s. Peace was in Syria's interest,

said Asad, noting: "I have a lot of poor people. Middle

East peace would make them richer. It would also undermine

extremism. It is logical that I am for peace."



6. (C) Congressman Hobson further pursued the need for

Syrian actions on the Israeli prisoners. PM Olmert is weak,

Hobson said, but a peace deal would make him stronger. He

added to Asad, "If you could talk to Hamas (about the Israeli

prisoner) and say 'Let's get a deal.' Then Egypt could be

successful." Asad responded that the peace process was like

marriage and that Syria as the suitor had the impression that



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Israel was not interested in a match. "Olmert has never

publicly said he is ready for dialogue," Asad said. Hobson

retorted that sometimes the suitor must be persistent. Asad

responded, "That's humiliating." The Speaker asked whether

her delegation could say publicly that Syria was ready for

peace. Asad responded, "When Olmert says he is ready

publicly, I will tell my people in my next public statement

that we are also ready."



7. (C) SYRIA WITH IRAN OR THE WEST?: Congressman Lantos

noted his previous meetings in Damascus with the late Syrian

President Hafez al-Asad and with Bashar al-Asad. He

questioned the Syrian President's ties to Iran, asking, "Do

you want to be viewed as a partner of Iranian President

Ahmadinejad? I can't see you denying that the Holocaust ever

occurred. I can't see you saying that you want to wipe

Israel off the map with nuclear weapons." Syria now has an

opportunity to develop a relationship with the U.S., said

Lantos, who then asked the Syrian President about his vision

for U.S.-Syrian relations over the next five to ten years.



8. (C) Asad responded that the SARG had the will to engage

with the U.S., but "did not have the means and the tools."

If the U.S. was open-minded about its partnership with Syria,

each country could go its different way and meet at the end,

Asad said. "Or you can say to us, 'If you don't go our way,

then you are against us.'" Asad said that his goals for

renewed U.S.-Syrian ties spanned one to two generations and

focused on the need for the U.S. to serve as a broker for

Middle East Peace, as well as increasing development

including information technology in Syria.



9. (C) LEBANON: Congressman Rahall noted his Lebanese

origin and stressed the need for improved Syrian-Lebanese

relations, including embassies between the two countries. He

asked Asad for a readout on his recent meetings with Saudi

King concerning Lebanon and the peace process. Asad

responded by first noting strong Syrian-Lebanese ties--not

through any Syrian intelligence presence in Lebanon but

rather through "Lebanese friends who come to Syria every

day." The Syrian President responded to the second point by

saying that his Lebanon-related discussions with the Saudi

King were limited to the King's comments that if there were a

Sunni-Shiite conflict there it would destroy the whole

region. Asad commented that many official foreign visitors

to Syria alternately ask Syria to stay out of Lebanon and

then ask for Syrian help. "We can help if Lebanon wants. To

close the border and isolate the country would be dangerous,"

he said. Asad returned to an earlier theme, noting that the

solution to Lebanon's problems were constitutional and

required Lebanese consensus. He said Syria was seeking to

build its influence on Lebanon by improving its relations

first with Saudi Arabia and then with post-Chirac France.



10. (C) POLITICAL PRISONERS: At the lunch, the Speaker, who

was seated next to the President raised the issue of Syrian

political prisoners Kamal Labwani, Anwar al-Bunni, Michel

Kilo, Mahmoud Issa and Aref Dalila. The Speaker, who had

briefly met with Mrs. Labwani at a pull aside on the margins

of an April 3 reception hosted by the Embassy, noted that

Labwani had recently been placed in solitary confinement in

difficult conditions. The President responded that he would

look into Labwani's case. He added that Bunni, Kilo and Issa

cases were out of his hands and with the court.



11.(C) Also at the lunch Representative Ellison pressed Asad

on Iraq and Iran's negative role in the region.

Representative Slaughter raised Lebanon and Representative

Lantos explained his international "Nuclear Fuel Bank"

legislation asking Asad to press Iran to accept this

alternative if Iran was truly seeking peaceful nuclear power.

Asad said he would be interested to see the legislation and

"would raise it" with the Iranian President. FM Muallim,

noting that Lantos had said that any country could be

included, asked rhetorically whether the "U.S. would give

uranium to Syria if it was not even willing to give spare

parts for civilian aircraft to Syria."



12.(U) The delegation conducted a press conference at the

airport prior to departure.



13.(U) This cable was cleared by CODEL Pelosi after the

CODEL's departure from Syria.

CORBIN