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Viewing cable 06DAMASCUS3258, Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Qatar, Syria/Iran,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06DAMASCUS3258 2006-07-03 14:10 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Damascus
VZCZCXYZ0008
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #3258/01 1841410
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031410Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0127
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6079
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3928
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2461
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 7127
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1116
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4502
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0724
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6863
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 003258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/S:STHIBEAULT AND 
JMCCARTER, VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, DBENZE AND 
AFERNANDEZ, IIP/G/NEA-SA RWINCHESTER 
WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC 
CENTCOM FOR CCPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY
SUBJECT: Damascus Media Reaction: Syria/Qatar, Syria/Iran, 
Syria/Israel, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Lebanon (7/1-3) 
 
1. Summary: Syrian papers reported President Asad's meeting with 
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al 
Thani, that focused on the latest regional developments, 
particularly in the occupied Palestinian territories. Talks also 
touched upon bilateral relations between Syria and Qatar. 
 
Papers also cited President Asad's meeting with Ayatollah Imam 
Khomeini's grandson Hasan Khomeini, Director of the Ayatollah 
Khomeini Heritage Foundation, and an accompanying delegation. 
Talks during the meeting dealt with the friendly relations 
between the two countries and activities of the foundation. 
Iranian Ambassador to Syria, Mohammed Hasan Akhtari, attended the 
meeting. 
Papers also cited a statement by the Cuban Foreign Ministry 
condemning Israel's violation of Syrian airspace, saying that 
this act "poses a danger to international peace and security". 
The Ministry stressed that the violation further escalates 
tension in the Middle East. It also strongly denounced Israel's 
military aggression in the Gaza Strip, stressing that Israel 
behaves arrogantly toward Palestinians, encouraged by unlimited 
US support. It called upon the international community and all 
peace-loving countries to act immediately to demand that Israel 
withdraw from Gaza and stop state terrorism against the 
Palestinian people. 
Papers also reported that Syria has rejected accusations of the 
United States Ambassador to the United Nations against Syria as 
"baseless, unacceptable and untrue." Participating at the UN 
Security Council's emergency session to discuss the deteriorating 
conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, Syria 
condemned Israel's haughty practices, saying, "The Israeli 
military escalation poses a real threat to the world's security 
and stability." "Israel, paying no heed to legitimate 
international resolutions, tries again to draw the region into a 
cycle of violence by widening the ambit of struggle in the Middle 
East," Syria's Acting Permanent Envoy to the UN said [The name of 
the Syrian diplomat was not cited by the news report] "Israeli 
fighters flying over the Syrian coast are a screaming breach of 
international law and constitute an unjustified provocation 
against a sovereign independent state," he indicated. The Syrian 
diplomat underlined that "the US ambassador, who appointed 
himself as a defender of Israel's brutal aggressions, is the last 
one with the right to throw out such accusations, particularly 
since biased US policies and distortion of facts are causes of 
extremism and terrorism in the world." "The US, to cover hostile 
Israeli policies against the Palestinian people, will never serve 
a just and comprehensive peace but will exacerbate the 
situation."  The diplomat expressed hope that the UN will 
shoulder its responsibility to contain the deteriorating 
situation and the tragic circumstances that the Palestinian 
people are passing through. 
All papers featured a mass demonstration at the Yarmouk refugee 
camp in Damascus on Sunday evening protesting Israeli practices 
against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the 
Palestinian territories. Protestors chanted slogans condemning 
the barbarian Zionist aggression which has destroyed humans, 
trees and stones in Gaza and other Palestinian cities. 
Demonstrators also carried banners hailing Syrian solidarity with 
the Palestinian struggle and demanding that the international 
community put an end to Israel's dangerous violations against the 
Palestinian people without any consideration of international 
legitimacy or minimum human rights 
End of summary. 
2.  Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad discusses the latest developments in the region 
and bilateral relations with Qatari Foreign Minister" (Government- 
owned Tisrheen, 7/2) 
 
"President Asad reviews relations of friendship between Syria and 
Iran with Ayatollah Imam Khomeini's grandson Hasan Khomeini, 
Director of the Ayatollah Khomeini Heritage Foundation" 
(Government-owned TIshreen, 7/3) 
 
"Angry reactions to the provocative Israeli violation of Syrian 
airspace: Violation of international law; the world is being 
called upon to exert pressure on Israel" (Government-owned 
 
Tishreen, 7/1) 
 
"Cuba condemns Israeli warplanes' violation of Syrian airspace" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 7/3) 
 
"Syria rejects accusations of the US Ambassador to the UN: Bolton 
has appointed himself as a defender of Israel. Israel is 
practicing state terrorism. The US covering up of Israel's 
aggressive policies against the Palestinian people aggravates 
tension in the region" (Government-owned Tishreen, 7/2) 
 
"Foreign Minister al-Mouallem discusses the dangerous 
deterioration in the occupied Palestinian territories with former 
Italian Foreign Minister Demichelis" (Government-owned Tishreen, 
7/3) 
 
"Israeli occupation forces attack Hanieh's office. Olmert orders 
his forces to liberate the Israeli soldier and to use all means 
of force against Palestinians" (Government-owned Tishreen, 7/3) 
 
"Paying no heed to Israeli terrorism, US President Bush calls for 
release of the Israeli prisoner. Israel rejects releasing 
Palestinian prisoners and continues its open aggression" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 7/2) 
 
"New deterioration in President Bush's popularity. 66 Iraqis 
killed, 87 injured in an explosion in Baghdad" (Government-owned 
Tishreen, 7/3) 
 
"A huge demonstration at the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus to 
denounce Israel's aggression against Gaza. Arab and Islamic 
protests amidst world silence. The Zionist war storms the people 
of Gaza" (Government-owned Tishreen, 7/1) 
 
"Palestinian PM Hanieh: The Israel occupation doesn't seek the 
kidnapped Israeli soldier, but seeks to foil the Palestinian 
government. Israel rejects a conditional release of its two 
soldiers and resumes raids and incursions" (Government-owned 
TIshreen, 7/1) 
 
"A new US military scandal: Slaughter of a whole Iraqi family. 
Burning of an Iraqi girl after being raped" (Government-owned 
TIshreen, 7/1) 
 
 
3.  Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
"Evading a Crisis and Domestic Failure" 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Ilyas Murad, chief editor of government-owned Al-Ba'th, wrote 
(7/2): "Through its aggression on Gaza and accusations against 
Syria, Israel is trying to escape from its own crisis and 
failure by creating regional tension.... 
 
"Now, days into the siege and the killings and kidnappings of 
Palestinian MPs, the reasons and the truth of the Israeli 
aggression have appeared. It transpired that Israel was shocked 
by the capture of one of its soldiers and the killing of two 
others in the resistance attack on a fortified military 
position. Neither Israel's military nor its 'militant civilians' 
expected the resistance to be able to carry out such an attack. 
Perhaps they believed that aggression on and violation of Syrian 
airspace would help resolve their crisis through an incident 
that, to say the least, represents an attempt to evade the real 
problem. Mutual violation of airspace is possible anytime 
anywhere. Even small or weak countries can do it. Organizations 
also can do it. But we should discuss the reasons and dimensions 
of such an act. 
 
"Troubled Israel wanted to create tension in the region and 
trigger new events that would perhaps move things back and foil 
Palestinian coherence, which was achieved despite all wagers to 
 
the contrary. Perhaps it also wanted to provide a dose of 
support for those in Lebanon who are calling, through pretexts 
they put on the negotiating table, for disarming the 
resistance.... Israel wants to say that this harmony in 
consolidating the will of resistance and spreading consciousness 
of resistance, which is taking root in Palestine, Iraq, and 
Lebanon, is not allowed. Perhaps Israel also wants to offer 
support for some [Syrian opposition] symbols abroad who have 
stretched out a hand for negotiations with Israel and requested 
help and assistance. 
 
"There is harmony between Israel and the US representative to 
the United Nations, who makes false accusations against Syria, 
its people and leadership." 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
"Partners in Lying and Aggression" 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Ali Nasrallah, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (7/2): "Just as the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was a 
lie, the claim that Israel wants only to free its captured 
soldier will not be the last in the series of lies that Israel 
makes as part of the hostile schemes that are drawn up and 
discussed in advance with Washington and some Western capitals. 
 
"There were Israeli reports saying that the Israeli operation in 
Gaza was planned weeks before the capture of the Israeli soldier 
and that the objective is to undermine the HAMAS government and 
crush the will of the Palestinian resistance.... 
 
"Israel and the United States are partners in lying. They insist 
on sticking to old lies as they fabricate and believe new ones. 
In the meantime, Israel is making progress in its effort to 
impose a fait accompli on the world and prepare it to accept its 
next plans, while the principle of political realism flourishes 
among some Arabs who are no longer provoked by the images of 
blood and destruction in Palestine!" 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
"A Gang Enjoying International Protection" 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (7/1): "All hell broke loose when Palestinian 
commandoes captured an Israeli soldier in a military operation. 
Every party in the world, led by the administration of US 
President George Bush, made painstaking efforts to obtain the 
release of this soldier of Israeli identity and French 
nationality. 
 
"The superpowers have not stopped defending killers and 
criminals. The frenzied attempts to release the soldier, who 
left his country and came to kill the people of Palestine, are 
continuing around the clock. When Israel committed a flagrant 
act of piracy in broad daylight and arrested -- indeed kidnapped 
-- a number of ministers and parliament members who were 
democratically elected by the Palestinian people, no one in this 
'free' world bothered to condemn the act, which can be committed 
only by mafia and terror gangs. 
 
"All that this world, which claims to be civilized and to be a 
champion of human rights, could do was issue a generous call for 
'self-restraint,' a term that the 'civilized' ones usually use 
when they find themselves forced to admit that what Israel's 
armed gang has done goes beyond all imagination and transcends 
all the red lines that mean brutal massacres against the 
Palestinians.... 
 
"What elicits sorrow, regret, and anger, all at the same time, 
is that a superpower that is supposedly in charge of world peace 
and security is blessing the acts of this gang and providing it 
 
with protection under false justifications, such as terming its 
acts self-defense.... 
 
"But this is how we have known the Bush administration and its 
allies. And this is how Israel will continue to practice 
aggression and all kinds of terrorism, including the violation 
of the airspace of Arab countries - Syria and Lebanon in 
particular. Nothing will deter it as long as the 'civilized free 
world' is providing all necessary protection for the terrorist 
Israeli gang." 
 
Seche