Cablegate: Tfle01: Syria Daily Sitrep 19 for Tuesday August

VZCZCXRO5074
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHDM #3896 2201509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081509Z AUG 06 ZFD
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0850
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0174
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 003896

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU, AMMAN FOR KANNESHIRO,
CAIRO FOR CHEYNE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM LE SY
SUBJECT: TFLE01: SYRIA DAILY SITREP 19 FOR TUESDAY AUGUST
8, 2006

1. (U) Summary: In Beirut, Syrian FM Walid Mu'allim continued
praising Hizballah (the "Lebanese National Resistance"),
noting in his public remarks that Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora
had been politically strengthened by Hizballah's military
successes. Mu'allim also rejected the draft UNSCR. Top SARG
officials engaged with high-level Greek officials as Syria
asked Greece to assume a more active role in resolving the
Middle East crisis. Syrian VP Farouk al-Shara'a met with
Chinese Special Envoy for the Middle East Sun Pejan to
discuss the situation in Lebanon and the development of
bilateral relations. End Summary.

Political

2. (U) The following are political updates:

-- In Beirut on August 7 for the emergency meeting of Arab
League foreign ministers, Syrian FM Walid Mu'allim in his
remarks noted that Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora was politically
strong because of Hizballah's military success in confronting
Israel. He assured Siniora that the UNSC would not be able
to impose a resolution that was unacceptable to the Lebanese
people, according to official Syrian press (SANA).

-- SANA reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Asad spoke
by phone with Greek Socialist Party leader George Papandreou
about the latest developments in the crisis and the role
Europe could play in resolving it, according to official
Syrian press. Meanwhile, SARG Information Minister Mohsen
Bilal met in Athens both with Papandreou and with Greece's FM
Dora Pakayani, who sought to hear the Syrian position on the
conflict in Lebanon.

-- Asad also telephoned Lebanese President Emile Lahoud to
discuss ongoing Israeli military action in Lebanon and
coordinate the two countries' positions on the draft
Franco-American UNSCR.

-- Syrian VP Farouk al-Shara'a met August 7 with Chinese
Special Envoy for the Middle East Sun Pejan about the
situation in Lebanon.

Security

3. (SBU) The following are security updates:

-- RSO reports that Damascus and environs remain quiet.

Consular

4. (U) The following are consular updates:

-- As of 1600 local time, the Consular section had received
85 walk-in requests for ACS services on August 7, up slightly
from 75 inquiries the previous day.

Economic

5. (U) The following are economic updates:

-- Syrian press reported that in a meeting August 7, Syrian
PM Mohammed Naji Otri urged the heads of the Syrian Arab Red
Crescent's governorate branches to expand their teams of
volunteers and enhance public participation in the ongoing
relief efforts. According to SARG Minister for Red Crescent
Affairs, more than 200,000 Lebanese have been allowed to
entered Syria without registration procedures since the
fighting erupted.

-- SARG-owned newspapers Tishreen and Al-Ba'ath cited a
National Lebanese Information Agency report that Syria has
supplied some gasoline to stations in Lebanon. (Comment: The
papers did not provide any figures on the quantity supplied,
the mode of transport, or the location and number of the
stations supplied.)
CORBIN

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