ASAD CONGRATULATES QADHAFI ON RUPTURE WITH IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 04001 E.O.12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PREL SY LY IR SUBJECT: ASAD CONGRATULATES QADHAFI ON RUPTURE WITH IRAQ REF: A) DAMASCUS 3952, B) DAMASCUS 3787 - ¶1. (U) THE SYRIAN PRESS CARRIES AS SEPARATE ITEMS JUNE 27 ASAD'S TELEPHQNE CALL TO QADHAFI ON JUNE 26 AND THE NEWS OF LIBYA'S APPEAL FOR THE EXPULSION OF IRAQ FROM THE ARAB LEAGUE AND ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION. TRIPOLI RADIO (FBIS LD262238) ELUCIDATES THAT, IN HIS CALL, ASAD "DENOUNCED" IRAQ'S SEVERANCE OF RELATIONS WITH LIBYA AND CONFIRMED SYRIA'S SUPPORT FOR LIBYA. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: FROM ASAD'S PERSPECTIVE, QADHAFI HAS COME BACK TO HIS SENSES, AND DONE SO IN AN EVEN BETTER WAY THAN COULD HAVE BEEN HOPED FOR ONLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. TURAYKI'S TRIP TO BAGHDAD, ON THE HEELS OF COMING TO DAMASCUS, MUST HAVE GIVEN THE SYRIANS SOME PAUSE. BUT ANY SYRIAN CONCERN HAS BEEN MORE THAN WASHED AWAY IN A FLOOD OF IRAQI-LIBYAN RECRIMINATIONS. THE RAMADAN WAR OF THE CAMPS, AS THE SYRIANS PORTRAY IT, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULY CONCLUDED; IN ANY EVENT, QADHAFI IS NO LONGER TALKING ABOUT THE PALESTINIAN PREDICAMENT IN LEBANON IN WAYS THAT COME CLOSE TO ATTACKING SYRIA DIRECTLY. WHILE LEBANON WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM FOR SYRIA, LIBYA, AND IRAN, THERE IS EVERY PROSPECT THAT THEY WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SEE EYE TO EYE ON IRAQ AND THE ARAB- ISRAELI CONFLICT. ¶3. (U) BEIRUT MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. GLAGPIE