US embassy cable - 05DAMASCUS6101

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 006101 
 
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: Syria/Bahrain, Lebanon, 
Syria/US, Iraq, Israel (11/22) 
 
1. Summary: Syrian papers reported the visit of the Bahraini 
FM to Damascus carrying a message from the King of Bahrain 
to President Asad on Syria's coordination with the 
International Investigation Commission. 
 
On Lebanon, papers featured President Asad's message to 
President Lahoud congratulating him on Lebanon's National 
Day, and reported on the tension in south Lebanon in the 
wake of clashes between Israeli forces and Hizbollah in the 
Shebaa Farms. 
 
All papers reported a press conference held at the "Nation 
Tent" in al-Rawda Square in Damascus by former US 
Congressman David Duke expressing solidarity with Syria in 
the face of pressure and threats and criticizing the neo- 
conservatives support of Israel against Arabs, calling on 
Americans "to know the reality of Israeli terrorism." 
 
As for Iraq, papers reported that the preliminary meeting of 
the Iraqi Reconciliation conference in Cairo has called for 
scheduling the withdrawal of occupation forces, and cited a 
statement by Iraqi President Talbani rejecting anti-Syria 
statements by some Iraqi officials. 
 
End of summary. 
 
2. Selected Headlines: 
"President Assad receives a letter from King of Bahrain 
Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa on the current situation in the 
region and bilateral relations, and congratulates President 
Lahoud on Lebanon's National Day, emphasizing that Syria is 
keen on fraternal relations between the two countries" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/22) 
"Syrian journalists stage a sit-in at the 'Nation Tent' in 
al-Rawda Square in Damascus protesting pressure and 
campaigns of deception targeting Syria and its Arab and 
international civilized role. Former US Congressman David 
Duke expresses solidarity with Syria in the face of pressure 
and threats" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/22) 
"Former US Congressman David Duke: Every liberal person must 
support Syria. Americans must know the reality of Israeli 
terrorism" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/22) 
"Officers of Israeli boycott inaugurate their regional 
conference in Damascus. Conferees discuss means of resisting 
Israeli infiltration into the region" (Government-owned Al- 
Thawra, 11/22) 
"Lebanese national resistance repels an Israeli aggression, 
killing and injuring 11 Israeli soldiers, and demolishes two 
Israeli tanks and two occupation sites" (Government-owned Al- 
Thawra, 11/22) 
"The preliminary meeting of the Iraqi Reconciliation 
conference calls for scheduling withdrawal of occupation 
forces. US forces kill 5 Iraqis from the same family in 
Baquba" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/22) 
"Iraqi President Talabani rejects anti-Syria statements by 
some Iraqi officials" (Government-owned Tishreen, 11/22) 
"Sharon quits the Likud. The Knesset dissolves itself. The 
political map turns upside down" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
11/22) 
3. Editorial Block Quotes: 
 
"Vicious Goals" 
 
Omar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (11/22): "The converging US and Israeli statements 
on Syria confirm, without any doubt, that targeting Syria 
serves the premeditated scheme prepared against Syria even 
before the Al-Hariri assassination and before UNSC 
resolution 1559 was issued.... 
 
"What confirms the US-Israeli coordination in this regard is 
Mofaz' statement yesterday that Israel should work backstage 
so as not to affect the effectiveness of US moves against 
Syria. Therefore, the situation that Syria is going through 
has great benefits for Israel. 
 
"Condaleeza Rice stated a few days ago that there is a 
chance to make Israel a partner in the US initiative for 
enhancing democracy and human rights in the Great Middle 
East.... 
 
"The US Administration does not take into consideration the 
Arab countries' anger, nor does it care to recognize the 
credibility of the Syrian position, which is based on UNSC 
resolutions. The main concern of the US at the moment is to 
merge its schemes with the Israel project, to blow the 
trumpet of hostility against Syria and to mobilize others 
against it. 
"Syria hopes that the international community and the UN 
will not resort to escalation and that they will solve 
controversial issues on the basis of international law, not 
according to moods, premeditated positions and cooked-up 
schemes. Therefore, the Al-Hariri assassination must not be 
exploited for political issues and to enforce the logic of 
hegemony.... 
 
"The US cannot be an enemy and a referee at the same time. 
It is not entitled to prejudge Syria...." 
 
"An Inverted Vote" 
 
Ahmad Hamada, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
commented (11/22):  "The vote that took place in the 
Congress on a draft resolution calling for an immediate 
withdrawal of US forces from Iraq is a new indication that 
the US Administration persists in its strategy towards Iraq, 
indifferent to its huge losses and the tremendous 
destruction it is causing to the Iraqi people.... 
 
"What is noticeable is the conformity of US Congressmen with 
their administration and their support of its policy of 
occupation.... The high percentage of support for occupation 
is a dangerous indication that the political mood is still 
governing the US policy.... 
 
"After the vote, President Bush hastened to confirm his 
policy in Iraq and that he will continue fighting until 
victory is achieved.... 
 
"Bush's war on Iraq was waged under the allegation of Iraqi 
WMD, but no WMD were found in Iraq. The war was marketed as 
an effort to save the Iraqi people from dictatorship and to 
achieve democracy, but democracy has not triumphed. So what 
victory is President Bush talking about? Is the fight that 
he will pursue to be directed against an obvious enemy or 
against the Iraqi people themselves, who are the main losers 
in this catastrophic war?" 
 
Seche