Cablegate: Tfle01: Syria Daily Sitrep 16 for Thursday,

VZCZCXRO9601
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHDM #3835 2151433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031433Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0777
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0163
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 003835

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU, AMMAN FOR KANESHIRO,
ALGIERS FOR CHEYNE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM LE SY
SUBJECT: TFLE01: SYRIA DAILY SITREP 16 FOR THURSDAY,
AUGUST 3, 2006

1. (U) Summary: Visiting Spanish FM Moratinos was scheduled
to meet Syrian President Asad and VP Shara'a on August 3 in
Damascus. Moratinos arrived in Damascus August 2 and met
with Syrian FM Mu'allim, discussing the need for an immediate
cease-fire, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency
(SANA). The German FM telephoned his Syrian counterpart
August 2 to discuss the previous day's meeting of EU foreign
ministers in Brussels and the need for an immediate
cease-fire, SANA reported. There were 90 walk-in requests
for American Citizen Services (ACS) on August 2, up from 85
inquiries the previous day. End Summary.

POLITICAL

2. (U) The following are political updates:

-- Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos met August 2 in Damascus
with Syrian FM Walid Mu'allim, with talks focusing on the
Israel-Hizballah conflict and international efforts for
long-term regional stability, according to the official
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Moratinos was quoted as
saying that his talks with Mu'allim focused on the need for
an immediate cease-fire. Moratinos was set to meet August 3
with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad and Syrian VP Farouk
al-Shara'a. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana announced
earlier this week that Moratinos would travel to Damascus to
hold talks on behalf of the 25-nation EU bloc.

-- German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier telephoned Syrian FM
Mu'allim August 2 to discuss the outcome of the EU foreign
ministers August 1 meeting in Brussels and the need for an
immediate cease-fire, according to SANA.

-- Syria's Deputy FM Faisal Mikdad met with Malaysia's FM,
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) SYG, and
Lebanon's FM on August 2 in Malaysia, prior to an OIC
executive committee meeting August 3, according to SANA.
Talks dealt with the Israel-Hizballah conflict, the
conference's agenda, and the proposed political declaration.

CONSULAR

3. (U) There were 90 walk-in ACS requests on August 2, up
from 85 inquiries the previous day.

ECONOMIC

4. (U) A UN aid convoy set to depart Syria for Lebanon on
August 2 was delayed for "logistical problems," according to
an Agence France Presse (AFP) report. Three convoys of 20
trucks have already crossed from Syria into Lebanon,
presumably at Syria's Al-Arida border crossing, carrying 135
tons of aid, including tents, mattresses, blankets, cooking
materials, medicines and sanitary products, AFP reported. As
far as Post knows, the Masna-Jdeideh crossing on the main
Damascus-Beirut highway remains closed.
CORBIN

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