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Viewing cable 07DAMASCUS200, Syria/Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iran

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07DAMASCUS200 2007-03-01 14:42 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Damascus
VZCZCXYZ0019
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0200/01 0601442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011442Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3044
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6607
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4374
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2986
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7541
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1600
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4938
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1150
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7277
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000200 
 
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/Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Iran 
(3/1) 
 
 
1.  Summary:  Syrian papers on Mar. 1 quoted an official source from 
the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs , confirming, on Feb. 28, 
that Syria will attend the Iraq Neighboring Countries conference 
that will be held in Baghdad on March 10.  Answering a question by 
the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) about American participation in 
the meeting along with Security Council permanent member states, the 
MFA source said: "Discussions with the United States over Iraq 
constitute a partial step in the right direction, which is 
represented by dialogue over all the problems of the region because 
they are interlinked and affect each other negatively or 
positively." 
 
Papers also cited a SANA interview on Feb. 28 with Russian Foreign 
Minister Sergey Lavrov, in which he confirmed Syria's positive role 
in resolving the issues of the Middle East, whether the Arab-Israeli 
conflict, Iraq or Lebanon, and expressed Russia's willingness to 
continue political dialogue with Syria in order to find solutions to 
these problems.  On regional issues, Lavrov stressed the need for 
Palestinians and Israelis to overcome the state of distrust between 
them and hold negotiations based on the Roadmap, the international 
Quartet's decisions, the Arab peace initiative, the Madrid 
principles, and relevant UN resolutions. 
 
On Lebanon, papers reported that General Security in Lebanon has 
uncovered a spy network that works for a European state spying on 
Hizbollah. 
 
End of summary. 
 
2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"Syria confirms participation in the Baghdad meeting:  Discussions 
with the United States over Iraq constitute a partial step in the 
right direction" (Government-owned Tisrheen, 3/1) 
 
"Conflicting parties will attend the Baghdad meeting.  All parties 
will attend, but optimists are few" (Independent al-Wattan, 3/1) 
 
"Killing of two US marines, one British soldier and scores of Iraqis 
after two weeks of enforcing the new security plan in Baghdad" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) 
 
"In a private dialogue with Russian FM Lavrov:  Syria assumes an 
important role;  our relations with Syria are witnessing gradual 
development" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) 
 
"The Lebanese opposition warns against Israeli sabotage .  A spy 
network working for a European state spying on Hizbollah was 
unveiled in Lebanon.  Jeajea will stand trial in two weeks on 
charges of cooperation with the Zionist enemy" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 3/1) 
 
"Seizure of Israeli arms dispatched to Junblatt and Jeajea" 
(Independent Al-Wattan, 3/1) 
 
"The Opposition:  The governing team is begging America to partition 
Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 3/1) 
 
"Three Palestinians martyred in an expanded Israeli incursion into 
Nablus" (Government-owned Tishreen, 3/1) 
 
"Mashaal refuses to acknowledge Israel, so he was not received by 
Putin" (Independent al-Wattan, 3/1) 
 
"Tehran accuses the West of supporting Kurdish rebels and Washington 
accuses Tehran of training Iraqi rebels" (Independent Al-Wattan, 
3/1) 
 
3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
---------------------- 
 
"The Lowly Principle" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Abd-al-Fattah Awad, Chief Editor of government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (3/1):  "Until recently, and prior to the arrival of the Bush 
administration, Arab discourse spoke about Israel, behind which the 
United States stands.  Now, however, we may have to be more precise, 
and it won't be unusual if the talk becomes the United States, 
behind which Israel stands! 
 
"It was Israel that raided the Iraqi reactor while the United States 
stood in support behind it.  Today, Israel wants 'permission' to 
carry out its dirty mission, but this time in Iran. 
 
"We have to think hard, as Arabs, when we discuss the Iranian 
subject.  Israel is not outside the picture, and any hint otherwise 
will no doubt be misleading. 
 
"The worst thing about the Bush administration is that it chooses 
absolutely the worst of several options.... 
 
"It chose the worst method for fighting terrorism, that increased 
rather than reduced it.  It chose the principle of preemptive war 
and turned the world into a minority of killers and a majority of 
victims, whether in the figurative or real sense. 
 
"It chose the occupation of Iraq and it drowned itself and damaged 
and divided Iraq. It chose to support the less popular governments 
in the region, as it came for the sake of false 'democracy.' 
 
"It chose to make the White House the place where it receives the 
dirtiest persons, especially from Lebanon and other states.... 
 
"It chose the language of threats and excluded dialogue and mutual 
cooperation and understanding. 
 
"There has always been its worse choice, which is its full bias 
toward Israel's aggressiveness and its alliance with it. 
 
"If the hot issue now concerns Iran, we need to think with a cool 
head. 
 
"As usual, the United States' choice will be setting the region on 
fire even more than it already is. 
 
"The 'lowly principle' that encourages preemptive war gives you an 
idea about the method of managing crises in the US manner. 
 
"Therefore, we should not be surprised if the United States wages 
several conflicts in the world, some of which are crystal clear, and 
many of which are covered, sometimes by diplomacy and sometimes by 
fear. 
"On the basis of this US record in tackling issues, we must not be 
too optimistic, especially since the language in which the region's 
crises are discussed contains a lot of Hebrew sentiment, and we know 
very well how much that sentiment cherishes and benefits from 
causing wars, conflicts, and sedition." 
 
---------------------- 
 
"We Lose, So They Win" 
 
---------------------- 
 
Khalid al-Ashhab, a commentator in government-owned Al-Thawrah, 
wrote (3/1):  "There are signs that the US Administration might 
commit its third folly and fatal adventure by attacking Iran.... 
 
"The United States might win or lose a war against Iran, which is 
not important so long as the battlefield is thousands of kilometers 
away from its borders and national security.  But Arabs who are 
encouraging the United States, from under the table, to attack Iran 
because of the Iranian nuclear program will definitely lose, whether 
Americans win or lose.... 
 
"They will lose money and wealth under the banner of financing the 
game of war.  They will lose sovereignty and independent 
decision-making under the banner of protection.  If they win 
 
anything, it will be only the fire of sedition and the war of sects 
and groups, and above that the element of time, that will drive them 
back to their era of ignorance." 
 
----------------------------- 
 
"Where Is the European Role?" 
----------------------------- 
 
Omar Jaftali, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(3/1):  "Europeans are not translating into action their calls to 
lift the siege on Palestinians after the Mecca Accord.... 
 
"It is surprising that the European role remains hostage to the 
American approach, which is illogical and far from the spirit of 
international resolutions and conventions.... 
 
"Europeans must take practical measures to help end the Israeli 
occupation and to call Israel to account for its violations of and 
challenges to UN resolutions.... 
 
"Peace in the region is in the interest of Europe, not only in the 
interest of the countries of the region...." 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
"From Instinctive Reaction to Rational Dynamism" 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
Nasr Shamali, an op-ed writer in government-owned Tishreen, wrote 
(3/1):  "The Israeli army has carried out extensive maneuvers in 
occupied Golan.  The aim of these maneuvers is to implement the 
lessons learned from the latest war against Lebanon....  These are 
being carried out at a time when Israelis and Americans are unable 
to control the course, size, duration, and outcome of combat 
operations.  This is drastically different from their situation in 
previous stages, during which they were always certain of 
victory.... 
 
"We, however, must pay attention to the fact that this stage of the 
open war against our nation and country has not only made the 
conditions of the aggressors more difficult and their losses 
greater, but it has also obviously made our conditions more 
difficult and our sacrifices greater.... 
 
"It is very clear today that the Zionist-US enemy is dying to 
restore the situation to what it was before:  inequality and 
imbalance on the battlefield and the lack of rational dynamism and 
prevalence of instinctive reaction by the party suffering the 
aggression.  That is why we can see it mobilizing all its 
infiltrations into our society to portray the issue of war from 
regional, ethnic, sectarian, and other perspectives...." 
 
Corbin