Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08DAMASCUS753
2008-10-29 10:14:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:
SARG VIEWS ON NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND
how-toP 291014Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5494 INFO USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL CIA WASHDC NSC WASHDC
S E C R E T DAMASCUS 000753
SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, DS, AND M
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018
TAGS: PREL ASEC ABLD SY
SUBJECT: SARG VIEWS ON NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND
REF: A. DAMASCUS 722
B. DAMASCUS 676
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly, Reasons 1.4 b and d.
S E C R E T DAMASCUS 000753
SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, DS, AND M
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018
TAGS: PREL ASEC ABLD SY
SUBJECT: SARG VIEWS ON NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND
REF: A. DAMASCUS 722
B. DAMASCUS 676
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly, Reasons 1.4 b and d.
1. (S/NF) A Palestinian American academic who enjoys
frequent access to SARG FM Muallim told us October 23 that
Muallim believes that the U.S. Embassy is exaggerating the
threat in Damascus and "can wait" until such time as the SARG
finds a location for a NEC. The implication was that the
SARG is not actually even looking for site at present.
Muallim reportedly said "the Embassy just wants to build a
facility where they can increase their ability to spy on us .
. . We are not going to help them do that . . . They get
enough intelligence from their satellites . . . " The SARG
had no plans to agree to any site selected by the USG
(because those sites would implicitly permit the putative
expansion of espionage activities) but would at some point
find a site where the U.S. would not be able to "spy" on
Syria.
2. (C/NF) Recently, we heard from a Norwegian diplomat that
the Ya,afour diplomatic zone was dead in the water.
Obviously, the MFA tells us a different story (ref A) but we
also note that there has been no actual progress made in
their planning in four years. It could well be that the SARG
is using the prospect of a Ya,afour development as a means
of "managing" the U.S. Embassy until whenever they are forced
to "find" a site for a NEC. (Note: Egypt and Iran are
building embassies currently in suburban Damascus. The MFA
told us that these two projects were "exceptions" to the
requirement that all new embassies be constructed in
Ya'afour. End Note)
3. (S/NF) Comment: The remarks attributed to Muallim above
were made before the October 26 event in Abu Kamal for which
the SARG holds the USG responsible. Among the SARG's initial
retaliatory measures are reports that the SARG intends to
close the "American School" and the "American Cultural
Center." We have not yet received confirmation from the SARG
of its intentions, it is also unclear to us which Public
Diplomacy activities they include under the term "cultural
center." Given the current crisis, however, it is less
likely than ever that the question of a NEC can be handled as
anything other than a political bilateral issue.
CONNELLY
SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, DS, AND M
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018
TAGS: PREL ASEC ABLD SY
SUBJECT: SARG VIEWS ON NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND
REF: A. DAMASCUS 722
B. DAMASCUS 676
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly, Reasons 1.4 b and d.
1. (S/NF) A Palestinian American academic who enjoys
frequent access to SARG FM Muallim told us October 23 that
Muallim believes that the U.S. Embassy is exaggerating the
threat in Damascus and "can wait" until such time as the SARG
finds a location for a NEC. The implication was that the
SARG is not actually even looking for site at present.
Muallim reportedly said "the Embassy just wants to build a
facility where they can increase their ability to spy on us .
. . We are not going to help them do that . . . They get
enough intelligence from their satellites . . . " The SARG
had no plans to agree to any site selected by the USG
(because those sites would implicitly permit the putative
expansion of espionage activities) but would at some point
find a site where the U.S. would not be able to "spy" on
Syria.
2. (C/NF) Recently, we heard from a Norwegian diplomat that
the Ya,afour diplomatic zone was dead in the water.
Obviously, the MFA tells us a different story (ref A) but we
also note that there has been no actual progress made in
their planning in four years. It could well be that the SARG
is using the prospect of a Ya,afour development as a means
of "managing" the U.S. Embassy until whenever they are forced
to "find" a site for a NEC. (Note: Egypt and Iran are
building embassies currently in suburban Damascus. The MFA
told us that these two projects were "exceptions" to the
requirement that all new embassies be constructed in
Ya'afour. End Note)
3. (S/NF) Comment: The remarks attributed to Muallim above
were made before the October 26 event in Abu Kamal for which
the SARG holds the USG responsible. Among the SARG's initial
retaliatory measures are reports that the SARG intends to
close the "American School" and the "American Cultural
Center." We have not yet received confirmation from the SARG
of its intentions, it is also unclear to us which Public
Diplomacy activities they include under the term "cultural
center." Given the current crisis, however, it is less
likely than ever that the question of a NEC can be handled as
anything other than a political bilateral issue.
CONNELLY