US embassy cable - 05DAMASCUS6072

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 006072 
 
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: Iraq, Syria/US, Lebanon, 
Palestinian Territories (11/21) 
 
 
1. Summary: Syrian papers led with reports on Iraq, 
featuring a statement by the Commander of US airborne troops 
in the Central Command in Iraq that the US does not possess 
any evidence against Syria on the issue of infiltrations 
through the Syrian border, and a statement by President Bush 
ruling out withdraw of US troops from Iraq during his term 
in office. 
 
Papers continued to report on demonstrations and sit-ins in 
Damascus denouncing US pressure and threats against Syria. 
Government-owned Al-Thawra headlined statements by Russian 
circles saying that "false accusations against Syria reflect 
a continuing US policy of hegemony" 
 
On Lebanon, papers cited a statement by Nabih Berri, Speaker 
of the Lebanese Parliament, denying that Lebanon will be a 
passageway for targeting Syria, and a statement by Adnan 
Arkaji, a former Lebanese MP, who called for interrogating 
the government about the presence of Mossad elements in 
Lebanon, as reported by US Financial Times. 
 
End of summary. 
 
2. Selected Headlines: 
 
"Killing and injury of five British soldiers in Basra. Bush: 
I will not withdraw US forces as long as I'm the president" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/21) 
 
"Commander of US airborne troops in the Central Command in 
Iraq: We do not possess any evidence against Syria on the 
issue of infiltrations through the Syrian border" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/21) 
 
"A Huge popular sit-in in Al-Rawda square in Damascus 
denouncing US pressure and threats to Syria. Arab students 
demonstrate in Damascus calling on Annan to take the side of 
righteousness" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/21) 
 
"Berri denies that Lebanon is a passageway for targeting 
Syria. Adnan Arkaji [former Lebanese MP] calls for 
interrogating the government about the presence of Mossad 
elements in Lebanon" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/21) 
 
"A letter of solidarity with Syria from the Yemeni 
parliament. Arab intellectuals and authors denounce the anti- 
Syria campaign. Russian circles: False accusations against 
Syria reflect continuing US policy of hegemony" (Government- 
owned Al-Thawra, 11/21) 
 
"The expanded Iraqi national reconciliation conference will 
be held at the end of February in Baghdad. Withdrawal of 
foreign troops is linked to rebuilding of the Iraqi army" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/21) 
 
"Occupation forces attack Jenin. Ministers of the Israeli 
Labor Party resign today. A plan to seize arms in 
Palestinian territories is in effect. The Palestinian 
Authority denies postponement of elections. An urgent 
European mission to run the Rafah border crossing" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/21) 
 
3. Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
"A Storm in Washington" 
 
Ali Nasrallah, an editorialist in government-owned Al- 
Thawra, wrote (11/21): "Some might think that the storm 
caused by Representative John Murtha in the Congress has 
ended with a vote against the draft resolution calling for 
immediate withdrawal from Iraq. But an observer who follows 
closely the current dispute between Democrats and 
Republicans in Washington will find that there is a fire 
still ablaze under the ashes, indicating that a more 
dangerous storm is approaching. 
 
"Representative Murtha warned that Iraq will not be free 
without an end to the US occupation and that the so-called 
political victory in Iraq cannot be achieved because the US 
presence has become the incentive for violence. 
 
"President Bush rejected the idea of withdrawal, accusing 
Democrats of surrender and confirming that he will proceed 
with his policy of fighting so-called terrorism. The 
Democrats' vision that this strategy will lead to inevitable 
failure is more realistic because it reflects the opinion of 
the majority in the US, according to the latest opinion 
polls. 
 
"The current disputes within the US Congress reflect the 
reality of the US impasse which the Bush Administration is 
suffering from because of its aggressive war and rejected 
occupation and due to its erroneous policies that jeopardize 
world peace and stability, heralding what is more grave on 
the domestic and the international levels.... 
 
"If President Bush does not find this issue catastrophic, 
then the catastrophe which he is talking about would be the 
beginning of the collapse of his second term in office and 
the failure of the aggressive scheme of his administration 
in the region. This will open the door for questioning and 
accountability by the American people and their 
constitutional courts under the charge of damaging US 
interests.... 
 
"The US storm, caused by Representative Murtha, is apt to 
become a destructive hurricane for the US Administration, 
that has not learned the lessons of the experiences of 
Afghanistan and Iraq and that is trying to create new 
hotbeds of tension in the region serving the interests of 
Israel and its expansionist schemes, and protecting its 
security, stability and hegemony at the expense of the 
American people's interests, security and stability." 
 
"Marketing Illusions to Create Justifications" 
 
Mohieddin Al-Mohamed, an op-ed writer in government-owned 
Tishreen, commented (11/21): "Despite the attempt of the US 
media to portray Bush as a hero fighting terrorism, this 
characterization has started to be laid bare to Americans 
and world public opinion after the invasion of Iraq and 
exposure of the false claims on Iraqi WMD. The NY Times 
described the Bush Administration as catastrophic.... A 
recent opinion poll showed that 63% of Americans do not 
approve President Bush's policies in Iraq and that Bush's 
polarity has declined to 34%. This means that the teams of 
deception in the Pentagon, which were created to market US 
Administration policies in Iraq and the world, have failed 
to mislead a huge percentage of Americans.... 
 
"The misleading by US media and Arab-speaking media which 
aim to distort the image of peace-loving Syria, which 
rejects terrorism and hegemony and cooperates with 
international legitimacy, will not deceive all the people 
all the time. The popular and official moves by neighboring 
and peace-loving countries to express solidarity with Syria 
and to reject US pressure confirm that pretexts pertaining 
to the assassination of PM Al-Hariri and infiltration of 
terrorists through Syrian borders, etc, are merely illusions 
marketed by suspicious media, similar to the illusion of the 
Iraqi WMD that were not found in Iraq." 
 
Seche