US embassy cable - 05DAMASCUS6254

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 006254 
 
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: False Witness/Al-Hariri 
Investigations, US/Iran 
 
 
1. Summary:  Syrian newspapers continued to focus on 
revelations by the Syrian "masked witness," Husam Tahir 
Husam, who gave false testimony to the international 
investigation commission in the assassination of former 
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The papers view 
Husam's account, as told in a television interview and a 
news conference on 27 and 28 November, respectively, as a 
condemnation of a group of Lebanese politicians and media 
figures and as proof that the accusations against Syria in 
connection with Al-Hariri's assassination are fabricated. 
Headlines featured an official Syrian statement calling on 
Lebanese judicial authorities and the IIIC to stop the 
issuance of misinformation against Syria, saying that "Husam 
cannot be truthful in Beirut and untruthful in Damascus." 
 
Syrian papers also reported that Zalmay Khalilzad, US 
Ambassador to Iraq, has been given permission to meet with 
officials from Iran to deal specifically with issues related 
to Iraq. 
 
End of summary. 
 
2. Selected Headlines: 
"Syria warns against misleading the investigation into the 
Al-Hariri assassination. Seven items in the international 
report were based on false testimony. An official source 
calls for investigation of falsifications to unveil the 
truth, and calls on Lebanese judicial authorities and the 
IIC to stop falsification and blackmail: Husam cannot be 
truthful in Beirut and untruthful in Damascus" (Government- 
owned Tishreen, 11/30) 
"Lebanese Interior Ministry confirms the meeting between 
Interior Minister Al-Saba' and the 'masked witness' Husam 
Husam. Lebanese As-Safir and Ad-Diyar newspapers call for 
dealing seriously with Husam's confessions. Former Lebanese 
Minister Wahab: Mehlis report has completely collapsed" 
(Government-owned Tishreen, 11/30) 
"After seeking Tehran's mediation, Washington seeks contacts 
with gunmen and acknowledges failure of its military means" 
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 11/3) 
 
"Israeli and Palestinian security forces exchange fire in 
the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Occupation forces attack 
Ofar detention camp. Fifty Palestinian detainees injured in 
tent-burning and clashes with Israeli forces" (Government- 
owned A-Ba'th, 11/30) 
 
3. Editorial Block Quotes: 
"The Rope of Lies" 
Umar Jaftali, an editorialist in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (11/30): "Hidden hands are behind the fabrication 
of the trouble between Syria and Lebanon.... But the bonds 
between the two countries are too strong to be harmed by a 
group of rancorous people who shed crocodile tears over Al- 
Hariri but have sought help from foreigners and have ridden 
the wave of foreign schemes to serve their personal 
interests. These people prepared witnesses to harm Syria's 
reputation and implicate it in the Al-Hariri assassination, 
deliberately ignoring the Israelis and the Americans, who 
have a genuine interest in besieging and harming Syria.... 
"Syria, which is definitely innocent of the Al-Hariri 
assassination, wants the truth more than any other party. 
The truth is now a Syrian demand more than a Lebanese 
demand. Syria is awaiting fair judgment on this sensitive 
issue. In defense for its dignity and sovereignty, it has 
cooperated and will fully cooperate with the United Nations 
to anchor the values of justice and peace in our region 
based on international law and the noble principles of human 
rights and the rights of peoples and countries...." 
"Truth for the Sake of Syria" 
Isam Dari, a commentator in government-owned Tishreen, 
commented (11/30): "The masked witness Husam offered 
extremely important and serious information.... This time we 
seek the truth not only for the sake of uncovering who 
killed Al-Hariri but also for the sake of Syria, which some 
Lebanese politicians and journalists wanted to implicate 
forcibly in a heinous crime.... 
"Lies and ready accusations were fabricated against Syria to 
neutralize it and force it by all available means to change 
its national and pan-Arab positions.... 
"If the investigations take their normal course, Syria's 
innocence will be declared and the planners and perpetrators 
of the crime will be uncovered...." 
"In the Name of the Lebanese People and their 
Establishments" 
Ahmad Dawwa, an editorialist in government-owned Al-Thawra, 
commented (11/30): "Husam's revelations prove that a 
political and media group exploited Al-Hariri's blood to 
turn Lebanon into a base for hatching conspiracies against 
Syria, against the will of the majority of the Lebanese 
people." 
"Government and parliamentary parties are fully involved in 
this, but without the knowledge of the Chamber of Deputies 
and the government as official Lebanese establishments.... 
"Isn't the participation of a minister from Al-Saniora's 
cabinet in pressuring a witness to give false testimony to 
an international commission a serious conspiracy against 
Syria? Isn't the supervision by the leader of the biggest 
bloc in the Lebanese parliament of financing and fabricating 
these conspiracies a kind of turning Lebanon ... into a base 
for plotting against Syria? 
"Husam made extremely serious revelations condemning those 
who exploited Al-Hariri's assassination to ride on the 
American political wave in the region, one seeking to force 
Lebanon and Syria to surrender to Israel.... The revelations 
have shown the truth about those who claim to be advocates 
of freedom and independence and exposed all their slogans 
and promises to the Lebanese people. 
"The Lebanese judiciary must take legal action against these 
people for misleading justice.... The ball is now in the 
court of the Lebanese people and their nationalist forces, 
and in the court of the government and the Chamber of 
Deputies. We do not believe that many in the two 
establishments will be willing to continue working 
politically with a team that seeks to hatch plots against 
Syria and to subjugate Lebanon." 
Seche