GUEANT AND LEVITTE TO SARG: GOOD JOB, BUT WORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAMASCUS 000863 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA NSC FOR ABRAMS/MCDERMOTT PARIS FOR WALLER LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV LE IR FR IZ SY SUBJECT: GUEANT AND LEVITTE TO SARG: GOOD JOB, BUT WORK REMAINS TO BE DONE Classified By: Classified by CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.5 b and d . ¶1. (C) Summary: French Embassy DCM Nicholas Suran briefed us December 1 on Claude Gueant and Jean-David Levitte's November 30 visit to Damascus. After stops in Doha and Jeddah, the two Elysee advisors delivered an oral message to President Asad from President Sarkozy, urged Syria to make good on its pledge to exchange ambassadors and embassies with Lebanon by year's end, be more forward leaning on holding a fifth round of indirect talks with Israel, and take steps now (e.g., on Iraq) to foster better relations with the incoming U.S. administration. Asad reportedly promised to try to have an Embassy open in Beirut by year's end, but seemed less sure whether the SARG would be able to name an ambassador by then. On Iraq, Gueant questioned why the SARG continued to assail the SOFA. Muallim reluctantly acknowledged the agreement contained a timetable for a military withdrawal that might stabilize the country. Asad and Muallim were reportedly more upbeat about a possible fifth round of indirect talks with Israel, and they requested the French to ask Israel if it would be willing to meet Syria's demand for a response to its six-point plan on the 1967 line of withdrawal. Gueant and Levitte reportedly pressed Asad on the need to cooperate with the IAEA to resolve questions about Syria's nuclear program and to convey Western concerns regarding Iran's nuclear intentions in advance of Iranian Speaker of Parliament Larijani's upcoming visit to Damascus. End Summary ¶2. (C) Nearly two weeks after Foreign Secretary David Miliband visited Damascus November 17-18, President Sarkozy's Chief of staff Clause Gueant and Diplomatic Advisor Jean-David Levitte arrived November 30 in Damascus to "discuss where things stand," according to French Embassy DCM Nicholas Suran. Accompanied by the French President's Middle East advisor Boris Boillon, Gueant and Levitte met Syrian FM Walid Muallim and then saw President Asad, who was accompanied by Muallim, Political and Media Advisor Buthayna Shaaban, and Assistant Foreign Minister Abdul Fattah Ammoura. -------------- -------------- Message from Sarkozy to Asad: Keep Momentum Going -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) According to Suran, Gueant and Levitte praised Syria's efforts to exchange embassies and ambassadors with Lebanon but urged them to make every effort to do so by the end of December. Gueant pressed Asad to recognize that Syria's progress in relations with Europe had coincided with the coming of a new administration positively disposed to opening new relations with Syria. Syria needed to recognize and take advantage of this opportunity and to avoid backsliding. Working toward better relations with Lebanon was imperative, as many in the international community were looking to see whether Syria would meet its commitment to exchange ambassadors by year's end and whether Syria would refrain from interfering in Lebanon's 2009 Parliamentary elections. ¶4. (C) Muallim told the visiting French delegation that plans to acquire property for an Embassy in Beirut were moving forward. Asad suggested the SARG was making progress on selecting an ambassador to Beirut but, when pressed, was less sure whether the post would be filled by year's end. Muallim reportedly told Gueant that several candidates were in the running and that the President himself remained unsure which one to pick. While SARG thinking had been the first Syrian ambassador to Lebanon should be a Christian, there were still voices arguing for choosing a Sunni. The French Embassy here has heard that Muallim is quietly advocating assignment of a professional diplomat, reported Suran, but the President's views remained unclear. Moreover, there were different SARG views on whether Syria should appoint an ambassador so long as Lebanon was not prepared to follow suit. With the long Eid al-Adha holiday coming, and Christmas after that, the French mission in Damascus was not DAMASCUS 00000863 002 OF 003 confident the SARG would meet its commitment to name an ambassador by year's end, according to Suran. ¶5. (C) In response to questions regarding Hizballah and its arms, Asad maintained disarming Hizballah was not Syria's responsibility. On the question of supplying weapons to Hizballah, Asad and Muallim argued Syria's relationship with the "legitimate resistance group" would change only after Syria had regained the Golan. "In other words," summed up Suran, "the same old line." -------------- - Syria Ready for Fifth Round of Indirect Talks? -------------- - ¶6. (C) Gueant and Levitte suggested to Muallim and Asad that Syria's willingness to attend a fifth round of indirect talks with Israel would send a positive signal. Asad replied that Syria was willing to meet so long as Israel responded to Syria's six points deposited with the Turks during the previous round. Asad, evidently thinking out loud, assessed the pros and cons of another round so long as PM Olmert's caretaker government remained in office. While Olmert was too weak to deliver, he might be willing to advance the discussions in ways the next government would not. Asad asked Gueant and Levitte to probe Israeli thinking about holding another round, which they agreed to do. Asad also complained about the Israeli blockade of Gaza and urged France to use its influence as EU President to urge Israel to lift it. -------------- Iranian and Syrian Nuclear Issues -------------- ¶7. (C) The French delegation probed Muallim and Asad on whether the SARG had sought to clarify Iranian nuclear intentions, as discussed in previous meetings between Asad and Sarkozy. Asad replied he planned on getting another Iranian perspective when newly-elected Speaker of Parliament (and former Iranian negotiator) Ali Larijani visited Damascus. According to Suran, Asad seemed to have a clearer grasp of the concerns that had united Western countries in their approach to Iran. Gueant also urged Asad to give careful consideration to IAEA concerns regarding Syria's nuclear program. Though signature of the EU Association Agreement was scheduled for December 14 in Damascus, many EU countries would refrain from submitting the agreement for ratification as long as Syria's account with the IAEA remained unresolved. Gueant warned that the rotation of the EU Presidency from France to the Czech Republic at year's end would mean a tougher EU position vis-a-vis Syria so long as IAEA had unanswered questions regarding Syria's nuclear program. -------------- French to SARG: "Don't Blow It" -------------- ¶8. (C) According to Suran, Gueant and Levitte delivered a positive but clear message on the need for Syria to do more. Though the thrust of the visit was to ensure that Syria would meet its commitment to exchange ambassadors with Lebanon by year's end, the French envoys also pushed Syria to take advantage of the incoming U.S. administration by backing away from confrontational language on the newly ratified SOFA. Muallim privately acknowledged the SOFA might actually serve Syrian interests, but defended Syria's need to protest the legitimization of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Suran reported Gueant and Levitte pushed back by reminding Asad and Muallim that Syria now enjoyed better relations with Europe, but without continuing Syrian cooperation and an opening to the U.S., Syria risked backsliding into "four more years of being on the periphery." ¶9. (C) Comment: It is a sign of Asad's growing comfort in his relationship with France that Gueant and Levitte DAMASCUS 00000863 003 OF 003 apparently left Damascus less than fully confident Syria would meet its commitment to exchange embassies and ambassadors by year's end. Some observers here predict the SARG will deliver in the end, but the lack of certainty casts at least some doubt on the good faith Sarkozy has invested in engaging Asad. Recent readouts of Asad's meetings with visiting diplomats consistently point to the SARG's unwillingness to budge on key issues (relations with Iran, Hizballah, Hamas) without a comprehensive peace package, while offering only grudging cooperation in fulfilling specific commitments, such as Lebanon. We expect the SARG to make engagement a painstakingly challenging process for those who pursue this course. CONNELLY