US embassy cable - 05DAMASCUS6223

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAMASCUS 006223 
 
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/Mehlis, Iraq (11/28) 
 
 
1. Summary: The Syrian press reported President Asad's 
meeting with Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, Secretary General of 
the Saudi National Security Council, carrying a message from 
King Abdullah to President Asad. 
 
Syrian papers also carried the full text of the TV interview 
broadcast by Syrian TV last night with the Kurdish masked 
witness Husam Taher Husam, upon whose testimony German 
prosecutor Detlev Mehlis had relied. Husam totally distanced 
himself from his previous testimony and disclosed in detail 
the way Lebanese intelligence used him as a fake witness 
against Syria. He refuted Mehlis's report, which he said 
included "groundless" accusations against Syria. 
 
Husam added that the information branch of Lebanese 
intelligence raided his house after the withdrawal of Syrian 
forces from Lebanon and imprisoned him on a charge of 
involvement in a bombing in Lebanon. 
 
Husam went on to say that Fares Khashan, Hariri's advisor, 
visited him in prison, offering to set him free and to 
ensure him a luxurious life, plus a sum estimated at 
millions of dollars, if he gave false evidence against Syria 
and Syrian officers. The money was offered by Saad Hariri in 
one of his meetings with him. Husam spoke in detail about 
the plot already prepared to implicate Syria in the 
assassination through fabrication of lies, under the 
direction of Khashan. 
 
Husam also spoke in detail about the story of the Mitsubishi 
car which was used in the explosion that targeted President 
Hariri. He said the story was created by Khashan and one of 
the Lebanese intelligence elements. Husam said that Khashan 
fed him the Mitsubishi and other stories, such as the 
alleged phone call Husam received from one of the Syrian 
officers. 
 
Husam affirmed that all Lebanese politicians he met with, 
such as Waleed Junbulat, Marwan Hamada, Ghazi Aridi, Gubran 
Thweini and Saad Hariri, who took part in the game, offered 
him large financial inducements, adding that he was 
subjected to immense psychological pressures, including an 
injection that paralyzed him for many days. 
 
Husam indicated that the international commission received 
the Hariri family and the Future Block, who are members of 
the parliament, at its headquarters at Monte Verdi. The 
commission also received reporters from Future TV and Al- 
Mustaqbal paper. 
 
Husam pointed out that the commission agreed, upon orders 
from the Hariri family, to record his statements. 
 
Husam said that he tried to escape from prison three times. 
After each attempt he was tortured and intimidated to force 
him to complete his false testimony. 
 
Husam also spoke about the role played by Jubran Thweini in 
introducing to the international commission another witness 
by the name of Ziad Halabi. 
 
He strongly attacked the Lebanese media for its role in 
promoting lies, mentioning a number of Lebanese journalists 
who have relations with the American Embassy. He also 
mentioned visits paid by the French ambassador to the 
headquarters of the international commission. 
 
Husam expressed his readiness to give testimony before any 
international court and to meet Lebanese politicians, 
journalists and security officials who fabricated lies. 
In Beirut, Al-Safir paper said that two different sources 
confirmed that Husam is the same masked witness who appeared 
before the international commission. 
 
End of summary. 
 
2. Selected Headlines: 
 
"President Asad receives a message from King Abdullah of 
Saudi Arabia. Prince Bandar: Syria's agreement with the 
International Commission is a wise and brave decision that 
serves the interests of the Umma" (Government-owned Al- 
Thawra, 11/28) 
"The masked witness exposes dangerous details about 
misleading justice. Husam Taher Husam: They tortured and 
intimidated me to make me give false testimony against 
Syria. Strange roles played by rancorous Lebanese 
politicians and journalists. Jamil Al-Saiyed and his friends 
are innocent, because I was forced to give testimony against 
them" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 11/38) 
 
"FM Shara represents President Asad at the Barcelona summit" 
(Government-owned Al-Thawra, (11/22) 
 
3. Editorial Block Quotes: 
"Harmony over Righteousness" 
Izz-al-Din al-Darwish, an editorialist in government-owned 
Tishreen, commented (11/28): "Some people, in their comments 
on or analysis of the agreement with Detlev Mehlis' 
commission, tried to offend Syria and its central pan-Arab 
role.... Those people are receiving guidance from foreign 
embassies and from the US intelligence agency, which has 
allocated huge amounts of money for the purposes of 
deception and hostile propaganda in the region.... 
"These rancorous ones, who are basically merchants of 
positions, brokers of votes, and sellers of media 
interviews, know that Syria never said it would not 
cooperate with the international investigation commission. 
Had they not been blinded by falsehood and prejudgments, 
they would not have fallen into the trap of denying Syria's 
cooperation and fabricating stories about this subject.... 
"Syria, from the very beginning, announced that it wanted to 
cooperate with the investigations because it serves Syria's 
interests that the truth about Al-Hariri's assassination be 
revealed. Time will prove how wrong those are who are 
leveling accusations at Syria. 
"Syria could not bargain over the rights of its citizens who 
are wanted for questioning.... Syria obtained what it 
wanted, namely, that the testimony be given under the UN 
flag and that the witnesses return to their country after 
giving their testimony. This is a Syrian right that 
international legitimacy does not deny, and it does not 
conflict with the spirit of Resolution 1636...." 
"Confidence in Innocence and Wisdom of Decision" 
Elias Murad, chief editor of government-owned Al-Ba'th, 
wrote (11/28): "Famous foreign politicians and journalists 
rushed to portray Syria's agreement with Mehlis as a Syrian 
retreat. Syria has always expressed its desire to cooperate 
with the international community so that the truth about Al- 
Hariri's assassination can emerge.... The agreement fulfills 
Syria's demand that the interviews be conducted under the UN 
flag and that the rights of suspects be respected, including 
their right to return to their country. 
"Hence, it can be decisively said that the international 
investigation commission responded to the Syrian desire, 
contrary to the claims promoted by some.... 
"The agreement that Syria reached with the investigation 
commission despite all the accompanying pressure was a 
result of persistent political activity and many contacts 
and visits by Arab and non-Arab officials, and the fruit of 
intensive Syrian contacts with the world. We must also take 
into consideration Arab solidarity with Syria and its 
leadership. There was also the solidarity of the peoples of 
the world, who feel that Syria has been wronged; that 
Resolution 1636 conflicts with international law; and that 
Syria, which has always respected international legitimacy, 
is an important country and that any clash with it would 
reshuffle the cards in the region and threaten international 
security and peace. But above all, the agreement was a 
result of the broad cohesion between the [Syrian] people and 
their leader. That came as a surprise to many people, 
especially those who wagered on seditions and pinned their 
hopes on foreign pressure to accomplish their sick 
objectives. 
"Syria, in all its relevant actions, proceeds with absolute 
confidence that it is innocent of the crime of the Al-Hariri 
assassination.... Syria knows that it is targeted, and that 
whenever it overcomes an obstacle attempts are made to place 
new ones in its path. But ultimately Syria knows very well 
the price of its national and pan-Arab positions. It has 
paid heavy prices in the past. And now, when it says that it 
is ready for cooperation and confrontation at the same time, 
it is because it believes that it seeks not a confrontation 
but the implementation of international law, not only in the 
case of a mysterious crime like the Al-Hariri assassination, 
but also in the case of Israel's crystal-clear crimes in 
Palestine, its occupation of Lebanese territories and the 
Syrian Golan, and its continuous aggression against the 
Arabs...." 
"Responsibility of the International Community" 
Muhammad al-Khadr, a commentator in government-owned Al- 
Ba'th, commented (11/28): "The world must deal positively 
with the Syrian step and stop the misleading onslaught 
against Syria. This onslaught is linked not to the Al-Hariri 
assassination but to the US political agenda in the 
region.... Syria has succeeded in explaining its 
viewpoint.... The deal with the investigation commission 
respects Syria's rights in the investigation process as 
stipulated by international laws and resolutions.... 
"After this agreement, which was reached on the basis of 
international guarantees and with Mr. Mehlis' consent, the 
Syrians -- government and people -- are not waiting for 
praise or welcome from US Ambassador John Bolton for their 
cooperation with the investigation commission. There were 
accusations, hatred, and threats of further pressure based 
on the report of the investigation commission despite the 
criticism that was leveled at the report by legal experts 
not only in Syria but also in the rest of the world. This 
campaign was harmful and it must stop...." 
"What Is the Use? The Catastrophe of War still Exists" 
 
Muhammad Ali Buza, an editorialist in government-owned Al- 
Thawra, said (11/28): "Condaleeza Rice's statement about 
gradual withdrawal from Iraq next year is most likely a 
maneuver and an effort to improve the shaky image of Bush's 
administration and the election positions of the Republican 
Party. 
 
"More importantly, the statement is linked to the pressing 
situation on the ground and the growing and painful losses 
that are striking the heart of America's prestige and 
military doctrine. 
 
"No one expects the conscience of the US Administration to 
wake up, and even if it does that will not bring life back 
to the thousands of Iraqis and others who have been killed 
by American wars and policies that, to say the least, are 
reckless, repressive, and highly threatening to the future 
of humanity. 
 
"The American people, who are plagued by the mentality of 
their leaders, must create the required shock, correct and 
rationalize the destructive policies, and lift the immunity 
and protection of the traders in wars, chaos and fires, and 
make them understand, before it is too late, that their 
hands are not free and that there are red lines that cannot 
be crossed if world security, stability, and peace are to be 
maintained." 
 
Seche