Palestinian Territories, Syria/Lebanon, Syria/Israel,

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000572 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: Palestinian Territories, Syria/Lebanon, Syria/Israel, Syria/France/US, G8 Summit, Iraq (6/11) ¶1. Summary: Syrian papers on June 11 reported that the Arab League on June 10 renewed its condemnation of the US congressional resolution which expressed support for Israel in its continued occupation of Jerusalem, describing the resolution as a flagrant violation of international law. Papers featured a statement by Mohammad Sbeih, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League for Palestinian Affairs, that "With this resolution, the US congress has thrown aside all previous resolutions regarding occupied Jerusalem; thus the US has lost credibility in the Middle East and the world." Sbeih held the US responsible for what is going on in occupied Jerusalem. On Syrian-Lebanese relations, papers reported that Foreign Minister Mouallem met on June 10 with a delegation from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, headed by Secretary General Ali Qansoh. The meeting focused on recent regional developments in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Syrian-Lebanese relations. FM Mouallem confirmed Syria's keenness to ensure Lebanon's stability and its support of what is agreed upon by the Lebanese people without foreign interference. Members of the delegation reiterated the importance of Syria's regional role in achieving stability and security, pointing to Syria's constant support of Lebanon in all fields. Later, Qansoh expressed his appreciation for Syria's national stances and its role in Lebanon in past decades, as well as its concern for civil peace, national unity and stability in Lebanon. Qansoh said that his meeting with FM Mouallem dealt with political developments in the region in general and in Lebanon in particular, pointing out the support that is offered by Syria to the Lebanese to achieve harmony among themselves that would lead to solving the current political crisis. End of summary. ¶2. Selected Headlines: "Bkhitan, Otri, and Mouallem receive a delegation representing the Syrian Social Nationalist party in Lebanon. Kanso: Syria supports a real Lebanese accord" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 6/11) "The Arab League denounces the decision of the US Congress to support the continued Israeli occupation of Jerusalem: The US has no credibility" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 6/11) "Violent clashes in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. The Lebanese opposition holds the governing team in Lebanon responsible for the prolonged crisis. Fatah al-Islam: Our organization has no link with Syria" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/11) "Israel reiterates threats under the pretext of the Kisovim operation. A truce agreement reached between Fateh and Hamas" (Government-owned Tishreen, 6/11) ¶3. Editorial Block Quotes: -------------- "Peace, Suddenly" -------------- Waddah Abd-Rabbuh, Chief Editor of independent al-Watan, wrote (6/11): "As Israel suddenly turns into a peaceful state that is committed to UNSC resolutions, this means that it has to carry out resolutions 242 and 338 without delay, procrastination or preconditions.... "If Olmert and Netanyahu are really serious about peace, which is unlikely, they must immediately announce unconditional and full withdrawal from the occupied Golan in implementation of Security Council resolutions and convince Israelis that these resolutions are binding and that Israel cannot continue its occupation of the lands of others.... "The talk about support for 'terrorism' and Hizballah and about the dismantling of the Syrian-Iranian track and other obvious political maneuvers become meaningless when there are binding international resolutions.... "Some Israelis today say that war is coming and that Israeli cannot accept defeat, will not negotiate peace on a weak status and will enflame the whole region before sitting at the negotiating table. This theory seems more convincing than other theories circulated by the Israeli press, especially as it justifies the 'sudden inclination to peace' that Olmert and Netanyahu talk about...." -------------- -- "Which Route Will Olmert Chose, War or Peace?" -------------- -- Marwan Qabalan, a commentator in independent al-Watan, wrote (6/11): "The confusion in Israel over the issue of war and peace is due to domestic and foreign factors, such as the divisions in Israel and the American position.... "Olmert's weak government, which is managed by remote control from Washington, is unable to conclude peace but is certainly able to launch war if it receives a green light.... Therefore it is better, at this stage, to turn less attention to what is happening in Israel and more attention to what is happening in Washington, where the decisions of war and peace are made, as the recent Lebanon war showed...." -------------- "Sarkozy and Difference with Bush" -------------- Muhyi-al-Din al-Muhammad, a columnist in government-Tishreen, wrote (6/11): "Press reports related differences between US President George Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy over diplomatic contacts with Syria.... "Sarkozy's statement on the sidelines of the G-8 summit that he does not rule out contacts with Syria if this helps ensure Lebanon's independence and finding the killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri does not indicate a radical change in French policy [toward Syria] as much as it shows that the whole world can no longer blindly accept the falsehoods that the US Administration has tried to promote over the past six years. The French president's statement also shows French skepticism about the accusations against Syria over the al-Hariri assassination and the all the security incidents that fraternal Lebanon has witnessed in the past three year.... "There are many reasons that make Sarkozy and other world leaders more able to announce their disagreement with, if not opposition to, the US Administration's policy. "These reasons include the domestic American opposition to the administration's policies and the fact that the countdown for Bush's days in the White House has started without him fulfilling any of his promises to the world, especially with regard to the fight against terrorism. "Bush's anti-terrorism policy created appropriate atmospheres for the growth of terrorism.... Even with regard to Lebanon and the accusations by some Lebanese that Syria is destabilizing Lebanon, events and facts have proven that Lebanon is full of terrorist groups and extremist takfiri organizations that are blessed by the same Lebanese parties that level unsubstantiated accusations against Syria. It was also proven that US Vice President Dick Cheney is involved in funding some of the takfiri groups that are carrying out terrorist operations on Lebanese territory. And perhaps some of these operations are encouraged by those who call themselves 'the majority' so that Syria can be falsely blamed.... "Yes, the opposition to Bush's positions and policies by Americans and by many world leaders indicates that the US Administration's failed policy has been exposed as a policy that has tried to violate world and impose American hegemony through military force or economic and political pressure. As for Syria, which adopts a clear, transparent, and objective approach, it fully trusts that the deception that the Bush administration has practiced against it will be exposed, no matter how long it takes." -------------- "Borg on Defeating Hitler" -------------- Ali Nasrallah, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawra, wrote (6/11): "Former Israeli Knesset Speaker Abraham Borg's statements in which he likened Israeli society to Nazi society and said the Israeli entity contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction, are important and interesting. "The remarks help uphold facts that Washington and other forces wanted to hide.... They also help revive the UN resolution that equates Nazism with Zionism, which effectively places Israel once again on the beginning of the track of disappearance and effacement...." -------------- "The G-8 Summit Surprises the World" -------------- Ahmad Dawwa, an editorialist in government-owned al-Thawra, wrote (6/11): "The G-8 Summit surprised the world. Its statement is not worth the ink with which it was written.... "The summit offered no solutions to any of the world's problems.... It is disappointing that the G-8 leaders dealt with the Arab-Zionist conflict in a way that equated the executioner with the victim, the oppressor with the oppressed, and the occupier with the people who are seeking freedom and expulsion of the occupation.... "This is a retreat on the part of the G-8 leaders with regard to the issue of peace in the Middle East.... It encourages Israel to reject peace.... Leaders of the region must read the results of the G-8 summit carefully.... "The G-8 statement is not promising. Indeed, it opens the door wide for further international tension and, consequently, leads to international instability, especially in the region, the leaders of which no longer have an excuse to continue to leave it as a card in a game played by the superpowers." Roebuck