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Viewing cable 05DAMASCUS6578, Damascus Media Reaction: Lebanon, Syria,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05DAMASCUS6578 2005-12-19 14:47 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Damascus
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 006578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/S:STHIBEAULT 
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: Lebanon, Syria, 
Palestinian Territories, Iraq, GCC (12/19) 
 
1. Summary: Syrian papers today reported a lecture delivered 
by Dr. Mahdi Dakhlallah, Minister of Information, entitled 
"Propaganda Campaign Against Syria," in which he criticized 
the anti-Syria media and political campaign, saying that it 
seeks to incite disagreement between Syria and Lebanon and 
to serve enemies of the Arab nation by destabilizing the 
region and seizing its resources. 
On Lebanon, papers reported statements by Lebanese MPs and 
clergymen calling for a serious national dialogue, warning 
against random accusations and criticizing the anti-Syria 
campaign. 
 
As for developments in the Palestinian territories, papers 
reported a statement by Javier Solana, European Union 
Foreign Policy Chief, that the EU might halt tens of 
millions of dollars of aid to the Palestinians if 
Hamas wins the Palestinian elections and fails to renounce 
violence. 
 
End of summary. 
 
2. Selected Headlines: 
 
"Lebanese MPs and officials call for a serious national 
dialogue and warn against unleashing random accusations 
after each explosion" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) 
 
"Minister of Information, Dr. Mahdi Dakhlallah: Syria is 
being exposed to a misleading media campaign" (Government- 
owned Al-Thawra, 12/19) 
 
"Syrian expatriates denounce pressure and accusations 
against Syria. A campaign with a million signatures 
addresses UN SecGen Annan: No to biased policies" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) 
 
"German cyclists arrive in Hama as part of a solidarity tour 
with Syria" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) 
 
"Syria receives an invitation from Iran to participate in an 
international conference supporting the Palestinian people's 
rights" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) 
 
"The European Union, after the US, rejects Hamas' victory in 
the Palestinian legislative elections. The Palestinian 
Authority demands respect for the democratic choice of the 
Palestinian people" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) 
 
"Israeli raids target civilians in Gaza. One Palestinian 
martyred in northern Gaza" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
12/19) 
 
"Cheney suddenly in Baghdad. Powell holds Cheney, Bush and 
Rumsfeld responsible for the decision to go to war against 
Iraq" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19) 
 
"The Gulf Cooperation Council summit commences its 
deliberations in Abu-Dhabi. The GCC discusses means of 
ridding the region of WMD" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 
12/19) 
 
3. Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
"Wagers and Illusions" 
 
Isam Dari, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (12/19): "The winds of the UN Security Council did 
not blow in the direction desired by those who draw strength 
from abroad against their home in Lebanon, or those who are 
working hard to punish Syria and perhaps isolate and besiege 
it. This Lebanese minority, which theoretically represents a 
parliamentary majority achieved through well-known 
circumstances, pressures, and lies, has lost its wager and 
has failed to win the Lebanese public. 
 
"They wagered on a strong resolution condemning Syria and 
opening the doors for full internationalization of the case 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to serve enemies of the Arab nation by destabilizing the 
region and seizing its resources. 
On Lebanon, papers reported statements by Lebanese MPs and 
clergymen calling for a serious national dialogue, warning 
against random accusations and criticizing the anti-Syria 
campaign. 
 
through the establishment of an international court. They 
wanted Lebanon to open all its files to international 
investigation commissions, although this implies doubts 
about the integrity, objectivity, and professionalism of the 
Lebanese judiciary. They did not see this as encroachment 
upon Lebanon's sovereignty and national pride. 
"Those who read the original draft resolution and compare it 
to the resolution that was adopted after amendments can see 
to what lengths this team wanted to push things, and into 
what trench it wanted to drag Lebanon, and with it the whole 
region. Yet this team, which did not hide its 
disappointment, still tried to give lessons in patriotism 
and ethics to the honorable Lebanese who paid with their 
virtuous blood a heavy price to liberate most of south 
Lebanon, and who are still offering sacrifices to protect 
the homeland and its territory, dignity, and 
independence.... 
"The anti-Syria team did not hide its disappointment with 
the new Security Council resolution. They had thought that a 
resolution condemning Syria was in their pocket, that the 
international court would be set up right away, and that the 
role of the team investigating the crime of Al-Hariri's 
assassination had become so essential that it had full right 
to decide and do whatever it liked. But none of this 
happened, not because the Security Council adopted a 
balanced resolution, but because some parties realized that 
what was reported was based only on assumptions, statements, 
and probabilities, while justice does not rely on such 
things. Will this team wake up from its daydreams and stop 
its madness and hallucinating? 
"Misinterpretation" 
Ali Qasim, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
wrote (12/19): "The reading that is presented by some 
Lebanese politicians raises unlimited contradictions and 
misinterpretations.... Those Lebanese politicians 
intentionally misinterpret Syria's positions and statements 
so as to harm Damascus.... Only irrational or bankrupt 
people can see a warning against dangers as a message in the 
wrong direction.... 
"Lebanese Druze leader Walid Junblatt's statement after 
Gebran Tueni's assassination linked the assassination to 
President Al-Asad's warning a day earlier in an interview 
with Russian television that sanctions on Syria would lead 
to further unrest and more extremism in the region.... 
"This misinterpretation is not only naive, but also entails 
lies and fabrications.... Any observer of what Syria warned 
against understands very well the objectives and dimensions 
of that warning. In no way can any observer interpret it the 
way those people interpreted it. The situation that the 
region and the rest of the world are experiencing does not 
tolerate any other adventure or further explosive factors. 
Syria was not the only country that warned against this. 
Many others in the world did the same." 
"US Democratic Claims" 
Maha Sultan, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
wrote (12/19): "The US Administration was displeased with 
Hamas' victory in the Palestinian municipal elections and 
its participation in the forthcoming general elections.... 
"How can Washington, which talks about democracy day and 
night and launches a world war to promote it, reject 
Palestinian democracy and call for canceling a major win 
that Hamas achieved in democratic elections? 
"How can it expect us to accept its position toward Hamas' 
victory when it condemns and attacks Iran, for example, for 
allegedly interfering in the Iraqi elections? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to serve enemies of the Arab nation by destabilizing the 
region and seizing its resources. 
On Lebanon, papers reported statements by Lebanese MPs and 
clergymen calling for a serious national dialogue, warning 
against random accusations and criticizing the anti-Syria 
campaign. 
 
"The US Administration must stop playing the ridiculous game 
of democracy and say directly and frankly exactly what it 
wants from the region...." 
"Rhetoric of War, and Erroneous Policies Continue" 
Muhammad Ali Buzah, an editorialist in government-owned Al- 
Thawra, wrote (12/19): "In his recent statements to Fox 
News, in which he acknowledged that the United States made 
mistakes in Iraq and that much of the pre-war intelligence 
was wrong, President Bush offered nothing new, nothing that 
the American people and the rest of the world did not know, 
and presented no vision or approach to correct the 
situation, rectify Washington's wrong policies toward Iraq 
and the region in general, and end the suffering and the 
state of unrest and chaos. 
"On the contrary, the US president insisted that the 
decision to go to war was correct and that the Iraq strategy 
will remain unchanged.... 
"The result is that neither Iraq nor the region will see any 
kind of calm. On the contrary, Iraq and the region appear 
headed toward further unrest, chaos, explosion, insecurity, 
and instability, especially since the hawks and the 
neoconservatives in the United States have taken it upon 
themselves to escalate the situation and proceed with the 
policy of militarization, fires, killing, and destruction 
until the end, and no matter what the results. The goal is 
to impose the American-Israeli agenda, restructure the 
region, and impose the so-called Greater Middle East Plan." 
Johnson-Casares