Cablegate: Syria/Uae, Syria/Russia, Syria/Iraq, Lebanon (12/19)

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FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2654
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RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6456
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4243
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RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7153

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 005424

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/UAE, Syria/Russia, Syria/Iraq, Lebanon (12/19)

1. Summary: Syrian papers on Dec. 19 reported President Asad's
arrival in Moscow starting a two-day working visit to the Russian
Federation during which he will hold talks with Russian President
Vladimir Putin on the situation in the Middle East and ways to
strengthen bilateral relations. Papers also reported that
President's earlier visit to Dubai and his meeting with
Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister and
Governor of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashed Al-Maktoom.
On Iraq, papers reported that on December 18 Syrian and Iraqi
Interior Ministries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the
fields of immigration, passports, combating terrorism and crimes in
addition to exchanging information and wanted people in both
brotherly countries. Headlines featured a press statement by Turkish
PM Erdogan in New York, confirming that Turkey rejects the
partitioning of Iraq and, like Syria and Iran, supports its
territorial integrity.

End of summary.

2. Selected Headlines:

"President Asad in Moscow to discuss regional developments and
bilateral relations with President Putin" (Government-owned
Tishreen, 12/19)

"President Asad reviews investment, economic and trade cooperation
and mutual cooperation with Governor of Dubai Sheikh Mohammad Bin
Rashed Al-Maktoom" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 12/19)

"Vice-President for Cultural Affairs Najah al-Attar visits Kuwait
and underlines necessity of confronting anti-Arab campaigns by
dialogue and logic" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19)

"Syrian and Iraqi Interior Ministries sign a Memorandum of
Understanding in fields of immigration, passports, combating
terrorism and crime in addition to exchanging information"
(Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19)

"Syria demands revealing which countries did not cooperate with
Brammertz' investigation" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 12/19)

"A fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian territories. Abbas insist
on early elections. Blair holds HAMAS responsible for tension
reiterating Israeli conditions" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19)

"Killing of three US soldiers in Iraq. Bush adopts a new plan on
Iraq. Additional forces to cement a political solution. Rejection
of political settlements" (Government-owned Tishreen, 12/19)

3. Editorial Block Quotes:

---------------------------

"So Arabs do not Lament"

---------------------------

Dr. Buthaina Sha'ban, Minister Expatriate Affairs, wrote in her
weekly column in government-owned Tishreen, (12/19): "There are
some efforts and arguments in the West that serve Arab rights, such
as former US President Jimmy Carter's new book, the recommendations
of the Iraq Study Group, the farewell speech by UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan, and the book by American Judge Elizabeth de la Vega....
But for Arabs to benefit from these voices, they need to renounce
their differences and convey the painful reality of the region to
the conscience of the international community....

"We lament the fact that Arabs are busy with the theories of
moderation versus extremism, Sunnis versus Shiite, Fatah versus
HAMAS, and so on -- theories that were created for Arabs by their
enemies....

"The Arab political and intellectual elite must embrace their
rights, take pride in their identity, and join forces with these
rising international forces to convey the issue of the Arab-Israeli
conflict and its results in Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon to the
living world conscience with a view to achieve justice and human
dignity for Arab men, women, and children."

----------------------------------

"A Crisis Heralding a Catastrophe"

----------------------------------
Umar Jaftali, a commentator in government-owned Tishrin, wrote
(12/19): "The Palestinian infighting serves Israel's interests as
it wastes Palestinian resources and capabilities and allows Israel
to wriggle out of the peace requirements and complete the
implementation of its hostile Zionist plan....

"There is a foreign plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause.... All
Palestinians must avoid splits and divisions, return to national
dialogue, and unify their ranks and efforts against the Israeli
occupation...."

--------------------------------------------- -------

"Israeli Worry about Baker-Hamilton Recommendations"

--------------------------------------------- -------

Ibrahim Shuqayr, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th, wrote
(12/19): "The Baker-Hamilton recommendations have caused great fear
for the majority of Israelis, especially the linking of the Iraq
problem and the Arab-Israeli conflict....

"Although these recommendations are not binding, they showed the
mistakes of the US Administration when it turned its back on the
peace process in the region, practiced deception, demonstrated
stubbornness and blind bias toward and surrender to Israel, and
disregarded all the international efforts to establish peace in the
region....

"The Baker-Hamilton recommendations remain a realistic option
available to the US Administration to deal with them as one package,
correct the course, and provide a way to address the other crises in
the region. Without this, the US Administration will not arrive at
any result and will continue to face problems, failures, and hatred
in the region...."

Roebuck

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