Syria/Spain, Syria/Israel, Syria/Lebanon, Malaysia, Iraq,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000568 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/Israel, Syria/Lebanon, Malaysia, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Israel (6/8-10) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers on June 8-9 reported the visit to Spain on June 7 by FM Mouallem, who conveyed an oral message from President Asad to King Juan Carlos of Spain on bilateral relations and current regional developments, particularly in Iraq, the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon. FM Mouallem met with Spanish FM Moratinos on June 8. Talks dealt with the latest developments in the Middle East and means to achieve security and stability in the region. On developments in Lebanon, papers featured a statement by former Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh on June 8 that "Lebanon has a certain interest in establishing fraternal relations with Syria based on mutual respect," and called for consolidating Syrian-Lebanese ties by "direct dialogue," noting that the reasons behind the political crisis in Lebanon "are known and clear to all." He added that "the real problem in Lebanon lies in the ruling party's rejection of national participation". Papers also cited a statement by Sergey Pukin, Russian Ambassador in Beirut, on June 7 that "Syria has no relation to what is going on in Nahr al-Bared Camp, north Lebanon". Bukin criticized the accusations directed against Syria regarding this matter. He called for national dialogue and consultations by Lebanese political parties to end the political crisis in the country as soon as possible. Papers on June 10 featured an article by Chandra Muzaffar, Malaysian intellectual and President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST),published in the Malaysian newspaper "The New Street Times Press," on June 9, saying that Syria will not compromise the sovereignty and dignity of its citizens to placate superpowers and Israel. Muzaffar said that Syria is one of the few Middle Eastern counties to adopt this principle that expresses the sentiments of its people. He praised President Asad's depth of vision in handling regional issues and his awareness of the risks posed by the New Middle East project. Muzaffar linked the anti-Syria campaign to Israel's interests and said that "Syria will not abandon the rights of the Palestinian people" and "will not relinquish its rights in 
the face of Israeli arrogance." End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "FM Mouallem and Spanish FM Moratinos conclude talks by stressing deep historic ties and strengthening of Syrian-Spanish coordination" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) "A message from President Asad to King Carlos of Spain conveyed by FM Mouallem" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/8) "Israel sends messages to Syria to explore Syria's intentions about peace. Syria sends no answer" (Independent a-Watan, 6/10) "Malaysian intellectual: The campaign against Syria is linked to Israeli interests" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/10) "Abraham Borg [former Head of Israeli Knesset]: Israel is doomed to extinction" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/10) "The Lebanese army tightens siege on Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. Maronite patriarchs reiterate the importance of a national unity government and warn against a trap to settle Palestinian refugees" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/10) "The deteriorating security situation in Nahr al-Bared provokes Lebanese resentment: Lebanese figures and MPs: The governing team is bringing destruction to Lebanon" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) "Russia: Syria has nothing to do with Nahr al-Bared events in Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/8) "The Palestinian resistance attacks an Israeli military base. Israeli occupation troops penetrate deep into the Gaza Strip" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/10) "The Pope calls upon Bush to work to find solutions to the crises in the region" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/10) "The G8 Summit reiterates commitment to a just peace in the region" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) "45 Iraqis are killed in various attacks and explosions in Iraq" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/9) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- "The War and Peace Debate in Israel" -------------- Adnan Ali, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote 6/7: "The ongoing Israeli debate on the possibilities of war and peace on the Syrian front shows great confusion on the part of Ehud Olmert's government, which is still reeling from the July war and the recent Winograd Commission report, which blamed the government for the loss of the war.... "The military leaders - some of whom have learned the lessons of the recent war in Lebanon - say it is in Israel's interest to conclude a peace agreement with Syria, even if the price is the return of the Golan in full. They believe that peace with Syria without the Golan is better for Israel than the Golan without peace.... "Some politicians agree, but not all of them dare to make their true positions public because they do not want one-upmanship from the rightist forces or from their rivals, including the disoriented War Minister Amir Peretz, who is trying, with permanent failure, to combine his previous political positions that call for negotiations with the image of a firm, strong leader. "A few people still refuse to listen to the hallucinations of Ehud Olmert and his clique in the party and his other extremist partners about the need for Israel to keep the Golan forever. These few people are not finding a chance to expand and impose themselves, not only because the domestic Israeli policy was intensely mobilized against peace in the past few years, but also because the guardians in Washington have not yet allowed Israel to deal seriously with the issue of peace, especially on the Syrian track, as part of the mistaken US policies and calculations in the region in general, policies and calculations that are essentially based on coercion, isolation, and subjugation. "The policies of the current Israeli government do not indicate that it is serious in its approach to the issue of peace. Most of the analyses in Israel itself suggest that this government might turn to war and aggression against Syria, Lebanon, or the Gaza Strip in an attempt to reshuffle cards and evade the fall." -------------- "A Positive Report, But" -------------- Ahmad Hamadeh, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (6/8): "It was useful and positive for Amnesty International to issue a report accusing Israel of plunging the Palestinian people into poverty and misery over the past decades... "How long will the four corners of the world continue to hear such reports without doing anything against Israel's crimes and organized terrorism...? "Is it enough for Amnesty International to criticize Israel's heinous crimes and for the International Criminal Court to determine that the racial segregation wall [in the West Bank] is illegitimate? Is it enough for the Security Council to call on Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in 1967...? "International human rights and political organizations must move beyond condemnation and denunciation.... The Security Council, which issues immediate resolutions against Iraq, Sudan, and others demanding that they be urgently implemented, must apply the same standards to Israel, which ignores all its resolutions and statements...." -------------- -------------- "The US Dream, from the Region to the Missile Shield" -------------- -------------- Isam Dari, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishreen, wrote (6/9): "In Washington, Israeli VP Mofaz criticized the Iranians for ignoring Security Council resolutions and announced that Israel will discuss other options if the sanctions on Iran do not work.... "If Iranians are ignoring the Security Council resolutions, as Mofaz claims, is Israel not doing the same? Don't the records of the Security Council include more than 40 resolutions condemning Israel and calling on it to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories 'immediately'? "When Mofaz threatens Iran with military action, calls for blocking the Syrian-Lebanese border to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hizbollah, and defends the policy of killing and terrorism against the Palestinian people, he forgets that he engages in political and media belligerence and raises a heavy stick in the face of a sovereign, major regional power. He also forgets that while Iran is developing a peaceful nuclear program, Israel has a military nuclear program and at least 200 nuclear bombs.... "Mofaz is also behaving like a pirate and highway robber when he talks about blocking the Syrian-Lebanese border on the pretext that weapons are being smuggled to Hizbollah via this border.... Israeli leaders build their policies and positions on lies, deception, forgery of history, and distortion of facts. "But the bigger problem is that some superpowers adopt this Israeli nonsense, build their policies on its bases, and even use their military and political capabilities to implement the schemes of the Israeli terrorists and killers.... "The administration of the neoconservatives seeks a world that serves US interests, realizes the 'American dream,' and submits to the 'American century' plan. So it is not strange that the Bush administration adopts the proposals of Tel Aviv leaders. We do not transcend the boundaries of logic when we link what is happening in the region, from Iraq to Lebanon to Palestine, to the missile shield plan and to the economic and trade wars that the United States is waging against the world, including the superpowers. All these are links in a chain meant to tighten the noose around the neck of the world and its countries and peoples." -------------- "When Borg Speaks Up" -------------- Hanan Hamad, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote (6/9): "Tel Aviv, which complained to the United Nations about Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad's statement on the start of the countdown for the removal of Israel, accepted or did not protest against similar statements by Abraham Borg, former Israeli Knesset speaker and former Jewish Agency president, in which he strongly criticized Israel's policies and warned that they will lead to the end of international Judaism.... "It is obvious that President Ahmadinezhad and Borg were describing Israel's points of weakness, each from his own perspective. The Iranian president diagnosed the nature of the Israeli entity, which is based on usurpation, racism, and occupation -- characteristics that make it prone to collapse no matter how long it takes. History provides evidence. The blows of the resistance, the Palestinian people's determination to adhere to their land and to face the occupation even with bare chests, and the victory of the Lebanese resistance over the Israeli aggression in July, are undoubtedly powerful blows to the worn-out entity. As for Borg, he expressed his fears for this entity and called for addressing the factors that are leading to its collapse and disappearance. But both agreed on the same fact: Israel has dug its grave with its own hands." ROEBUCK