CODEL PELOSI'S APRIL 3-4 VISIT TO DAMASCUS: MEETS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 000391 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/ELA, NSC FOR MARCHESE, H FOR CODEL PELOSI E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SY SUBJECT: CODEL PELOSI'S APRIL 3-4 VISIT TO DAMASCUS: MEETS VP SHARA'A Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael H. Corbin, for reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (C) Summary: In a 40-minute meeting with Syrian Vice-President Farouk Shara'a, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and her delegation asked for Syria's cooperation in achieving stability in the region. They emphasized to Shara'a that Syria needed to stop interfering in Lebanon and expressed concern about Syria's support for rejectionist groups. They also asked that Syria show its sincerity for peace by taking concrete actions, for example, assisting in the return of kidnapped Israeli soldiers. Shara'a said that Syria was serious about making peace with Israel, that it was not interfering in Lebanon, and that it saw common interests with the United States in achieving stability in Iraq. Congressman Ellison also expressed the delegation's concerns about the security of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. Shara'a responded that the Embassy is secure but that it needed to move to the new diplomatic quarter. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On April 4, The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA),Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA),Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV),Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA),Congressman David Hobson (D-OH),Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN),and staff members met with Vice-President Farouk Shara'a, D/FM Miqdad, and staff for approximately 40 minutes. Charge and notetaker accompanied the CODEL at the delegation's request. ¶3. (C) Shara'a opened by stating that the Speaker was courageous for coming to Damascus, not because it was against the will of the White House, but for opening a dialogue with Syria. He said that the visit would help repair the image of the United States in the Middle East, and that he appreciated the Speaker's position towards the war in Iraq. He further stated that the perception about Syria was different from the reality, with a gap between what the media portrays and the facts. He said Syria is serious about making peace with Israel, to the extent that President Asad shook hands with the President of Israel inside the Vatican last year. He said the Israeli government wasn't ready for peace then, and ignored this "noble" gesture. ¶4. (C) Shara'a also said that Syria and the United States could see eye to eye in Iraq, with Syria wanting stability on its borders and a united Iraq. Shara'a said, however, that the SARG asked for assistance regarding its borders with Iraq and had not received help from the U.S. or British. He added that unlike the British soldiers now held in Iran, when two British soldiers crossed into Syria from Iraq in 2003 the Syrians handed them over immediately to the British government. ¶5. (C) Commenting on the situation in Lebanon, Shara'a said that from Syria's long experience, only national reconciliation can bring about a stable Lebanon. He said Syria and the U.S. could work together to help stabilize the situation. Representative Lantos broke in to state that it wasn't really a national consensus when one of the parties had its own military, then it was more about competing military factions. Shara'a responded that this issue would be part of an agreement for national reconciliation. Speaker Pelosi said that Lebanon needs to reach national reconciliation without Syria's interference and without Iran's support for Hizbollah Speaker Pelosi noted that the Iranians were supplying Hizbollah with weapons. Shara'a said, "of course, they are supplied by the Iranians," however, he said the more important question was why Hizbollah was there in the first place, and how would "they disband themselves?" Shara'a said Hizbollah has stated that if there was a national unity government, there would be no need for any party to have weapons. ¶6. (C) Shara'a went on to comment that Syria never said it wanted to see Israel vanish, that Syria's willingness to negotiate with Israel during the Madrid Peace talks proves this point. Shara'a declared that the Israelis had attacked the Arabs more than the Arabs had attacked the Israel. Representative Lantos countered that Shara'a couldn't rewrite history and asked how Shara'a could ignore the conflicts in 1948, 1956, 1966, 1973. Shar'a said it is Israel that is trying to bypass history, not Syria. Speaker Pelosi stated that the delegation had heard overtures of peace from both Israel and Syria. She added that many in the U.S. had discouraged her trip to Syria because it could convey the wrong message to U.S. allies in the region, but she said one of those allies, Israel, had asked the delegation to convey a DAMASCUS 00000391 002 OF 002 message of peace to President Asad and other Syrian officials. She also said that those involved needed to pursue every path to peace available, without letting obstacles get in the way. She said that in every meeting the delegation had in Israel, Israeli officials indicated a desire to find a path to peace. ¶7. (C) Changing the topic back to Lebanon, Representative Slaughter asked Shara'a how the Lebanese people could reach consensus with the new one-third plus one proposal that would give the minority veto power in the cabinet. Shara'a said this was purely a Lebanese affair, however, if the Lebanese government doesn't accept the nineteen-eleven ministerial split, the minority would call for early elections. Representative Slaughter said she doesn't understand how a government can function under such an approach that allowed the minority veto power. Shara'a said that if there was to be one voice in Lebanon and if the Lebanese government wants stability, then the one-third approach is imperative - a minimum for national consensus. Shara'a said the minority would be willing to give guarantees not to use the veto power against the will of the majority. Shara'a said that if accepted, the disarming of Hizbollah would be on the table. He added Lebanon needs the cooperation of all parties for a national unity government, but that Syria doesn't like to interfere - it had in the past and paid for it dearly. Shara'a said that the SARG had advised the Saudis on the situation in Lebanon, and having been asked to both interfere and not interfere in the situation, the SARG prefers to keep quiet. ¶8. (C) Representative Waxman broadened the discussion, saying that the United States and Syria had mutual interests. He said U.S. interests were no nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran; a peaceful end to the peace process, with security for Israel and a homeland for the Palestinians; a united and democratic Lebanon, and a stable Iraq. Representative Waxman further said that Syria could do a lot to help on these issues, but had been aiding rejectionist groups hindering these goals, including Hamas, Hizbollah and Iran. He said the U.S. was seeking Syria's assistance in the region, and a demonstration of its sincerity for peace. Shara'a responded that President Asad has been stressing the point of dialogue, that Syria was not rejectionist, despite what the media may be saying. Representative Waxman said Syria could show that it is interested and serious in moving forward by helping to return Israeli prisoners. Hobson said no one has done more than talk and said that if Syria took a humanitarian action, using its influence to free Israeli soldiers, this could be a positive step. Shara'a said that he wished people could go back and look at the archives of previous Syrian meetings with people like Lee Hamilton and Madeleine Albright - that Syria had worked all the possibilities on these issues, including expending considerable effort on the peace process in 1994, 1996, and March 2000. Representative Waxman countered by stating the names of kidnapped and missing soldiers, and asking about the remains of Eli Cohen. Representative Waxman said that Syria's assistance on this issue, even if it required a prisoner exchange, would be an important humanitarian step. ¶9. (C) Shara'a said that it was important for the United States and Syria to start a dialogue and that each side could put its top issues on the table for discussion, adding that they had not yet discussed the occupied Golan. Representative Waxman said this issue did need to be resolved, but that action from the Syrians on a humanitarian level would be a sign of goodwill. Hobson added that this should happen without any pre-conditions. Shara'a said a mutual gesture was necessary, and that the issue needed to be addressed by a neutral mediator. ¶10. (C) Representative Ellison added at the end of the meeting that safety of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus was of concern to the delegation. Shara'a said the embassy was secure, even more secure than his own office. He added that the Embassy needed to move to a new diplomatic quarter. He said that this was not a major issue, but understood it was a priority of the Embassy and turned to D/FM Mikdad and asked him whether the MFA had the U.S. construction plans. Shara'a concluded that he would do "what he could to help this issue." ¶11. (U) CODEL Pelosi cleared this cable after the CODEL had departed Syria. CORBIN