Syria/Spain, Syria/Pakistan, Syria/Cuba, Golan, Lebanon,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000557 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/Spain, Syria/Pakistan, Syria/Cuba, Golan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iraq (6/7) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers on June 7 reported that FM Mouallem will leave for Spain today at the invitation of Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos. Mouallem will convey an oral message from President Asad to King Juan Carlos I and will hold talks with Moratinos regarding bilateral relations and the latest developments in the region. On Syrian-Pakistani relations, papers reported the visit to Islamabad by a Syrian media delegation and its meeting on June 6 with Riyad Ahmed Khan, Undersecretary of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, who confirmed his country's support of Syria's positions and its right to restoration of the occupied Golan. Khan described Syrian-Pakistani relations as "deep and friendly." The Pakistani official expressed his country's concern over the latest developments in the Middle East, particularly in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Lebanon, saying, "the current conditions have negative repercussions not only on regional states but on Pakistan too". Papers also reported Information Minister Mohsen Bilal's meeting on June 6 with Fidel Castro Jr., son of the Cuban President and the scientific advisor to Cuba's State Council. Talks focused on bilateral relations and mutual cooperation. Bilal underlined the strong relations between both countries in all fields, hailing Cuba's support of just Arab causes. The Minister pointed out the important role of media in clarifying the truth and conveying accurate information. The son of the Cuban President reiterated his country's support of Syria's positions and defended its right to restoration of the occupied Golan. Papers also reported that the Syrian Foreign Ministry on June 6 forwarded memoranda to the UN Secretary General, UN General Assembly Chairwoman, UN Security Council Chief, member states, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the deteriorating health situation of Syrian captive Sitan Nimr al-Wali in solitary confinement in the Israeli desert prison of Nafha. The memoranda called on the UN and human right officials to intervene to compel Israel to provide medical care, send specialist doctors to examine the health condition of the Syrian captive and release him, along with his fellow Syrian detainees who have been under arrest for more than twenty years", the memos said. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "Mouallem heads to Spain today carrying a message from President Asad to King Carlos" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/7) "Olmert: Israel does not seek war with Syria. Israeli forces conduct maneuvers on attacking a Syrian village" (Independent al-Watan, 6/7) "The Syrian Foreign Ministry calls for UN intervention to release Syrian prisoners in Israeli jails" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/7) "The Lebanese army tightens siege on Fath al-Islam fighters. Lebanese nationalist figures warn of an internationalization scheme starting with the conversion of Nahr al-Bared into a US base. Efforts continue to reach a ceasefire, secure the return of refugees and reach agreement on a new formula for Palestinian refugees" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/7) "Olmert and Hanieh discuss peace in press articles published by the 'Guardian'. Israel speaks of 'painful concessions'" (Independent al-Watan, 6/7) "250 European MPs call for acknowledging the democratically elected Palestinian government and immediately releasing its frozen aid" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/7) "The EU reiterates support for maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/7) "Killing of four US soldiers in Iraq" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/7) "AFP Report: The morale of US State Department employees is on decline" (Independent al-Watan, 6/7) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- "Devils of Chaos" -------------- Isam Dari, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishreen, commented (6/7): "The American-Israeli plan to redraw the Middle East map is being conducted through the promotion of chaos in the region.... "Stability in any country constitutes a serious challenge to the devils of chaos and their plans and schemes. Likewise, the resistance option is a challenge to these plans and schemes.... "This might explain the American hostility toward Syria and the attempts to isolate and besiege it, distort its image, and direct accusations against it. And here one can understand the reasons of the multi-shaped American-Israeli aggression against the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance...." -------------- "The 40th Anniversary of June 4, 1967 War; A New Generation that never Accepts Defeat" -------------- Mahdi Dakhlallah, former Information Minister, commented in government-owned Tishreen on (6/7): "Arabs, who suffered two major defeats in 1948 and 1967, will not suffer a new one because there is now a new factor in the Arab reality, a factor that did not exist before, namely, the armed popular resistance in Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon.... "The resistance has forced Israelis to build walls to hide behind and has made the Arab peoples strongly believe that it is impossible for the Israeli plan to succeed in the region.... "Before the resistance, Arabs had to record their defeats while Israel could record its victories. After the resistance, the Israeli record contained defeats as well, defeats in Lebanon and Gaza, and soon in the Golan.... "Israel and the United States, therefore, are working to eliminate the resistance at any price.... But the Arab resistance is indeed growing.... The resistance generation is not used to defeat and it has not tasted it, because it was not there during the June 1967 war.... "Today, defeat is impossible because the resistance generation is the generation of the age and because the people are always the decision-makers of resistance...." -------------- "Will Resistance Be the Sole Option?" -------------- Sulayman Haddad, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (6/7): "Forty years have passed since the occupation of the Golan and more than half a century since the occupation of Palestine.... "No matter how long it takes, we will always remember that you Israelis have been looting the resources of our land for 40 years. These resources belong to us and to our children and grandchildren. We will leave it to them to regain these resources if we cannot do it ourselves. You will pay the price no matter how long the occupation lasts. You will withdraw from the occupied territories whether you like it or not.... "The Arab peoples are becoming more and more convinced that Israel understands only the language of resistance.... There is no doubt that the land will return, if not through the peace we want, then in some other way. Our people will not remain silent forever about the occupation and all of them will turn into resistance.... "It is better for you Israelis to talk peace and not to force our peoples to wage a destructive war, the price of which Israel will be the first to pay.... Do not waste the chance offered by the Arab peace plan and do not push us toward the resistance option." -------------- "US Democracy with a Lebanese Accent" -------------- Khalid al-Ashhab, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (6/7): "It is ridiculous for President Bush to talk about democracy and human rights while the blood flows and the heaps of rubble rise here and there.... "Occupations, detention camps, genocide and ethnic cleansing, and sectarian and political seditions are being planned and financed by the CIA to overthrow a government here and a political regime there and install alternatives to this or that. International resolutions are being fabricated and drafted by American pens and Washington's willing and unwilling allies are required to vote for them (democratically) at the Security Council so that they turn into weapons, explosives, and booby-traps. These are some of the translations of the democratic texts that Bush reads to us and to the rest of the world day and night...." Corbin