Cablegate: Damascus Media Reaction: Pope Anti-Islam Remarks,

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UNCLAS DAMASCUS 004560

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/S:STHIBEAULT AND
JMCCARTER, 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: Pope Anti-Islam Remarks,
Bilal, Syria/EU, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestinian Territories (9/19)

1. Summary: Syrian papers today led with reports of Syrian
Grand Mufti Badreddin Hassoun's meeting with the Papal Nuncio in
Damascus, Giovanni Battista Morandini, in which Hassoun warned
against inflaming a conflict between Islam and Christianity. He
accused some hegemonic powers of seeking to enslave peoples of
all religions, and indicated that the Pope's expression of
regret over his statements has had good effect in Moslem
society. The Mufti called upon the Pope to express in his next
sermon what he really feels about Moslems, their belief and the
Prophet. The Nuncio delivered a letter to Dr. Hassoun that
includes a statement by the Pope's Secretary about the Pope's
lecture at the German University of Regensburg.

All papers featured Information Minister Mohsen Bilal's interview
with Lebanese weekly "Al-Shams" confirming Syria's pursuit of a
just and comprehensive peace in the region. Dr. Bilal called
upon the international community to support all peace efforts
that guarantee the restoration of all occupied Arab territories,
including the Golan and the Palestinian territories. The
Minister praised the policies of Latin American countries which
reject single-polar policy and US political, economical and
cultural pressure. Bilal also confirmed strong Syrian-Spanish
relations. He praised the Non-Allied Movement and the role that
it can play as a representative of the interests of third world
peoples.

On EU-Syrian relations, papers reported the final communique of
the visiting European Union Mission in Damascus. The Vice-
President of the European Parliament Socialist Group, Pasqualina
Napoletano, said that her current visit to Syria came within the
framework of resumption of relations between Syria and the
European Parliament. Ms. Napoletano said that "talks between the
delegation and Syrian officials came at an ideal time,
considering the imminent discussion at the European parliament on
a proposed decision on Syria in October." The statement said
that the members of the EU delegation stressed their wish to
accelerate signing of the EU-Syria Association Agreement.

On Lebanon, papers continued to report that Israeli forces are
moving the Blue Line toward the Lebanese border, in the presence
of the UNIFIL forces. Papers reported a statement by the Board
of Arkoub and Sheba'a Farms Citizens condemning this act and
demanding an immediate and serious Lebanese move to prevent these
violations of Lebanon's sovereignty. The Board demanded that UN
SecGem Annan publish his report about Sheba'a Farms and Kfar
Shouba Hills, in order to include the two areas in the UNIFIL
mandate, as a prelude to demarcation of their borders and their
restoration to Lebanese sovereignty.

On Iraq, papers reported the Conference of Interior Ministers of
Countries Neighboring Iraq, in Jeddah. Syrian Interior Minister
Major General Bassam Abdel-Majeed represented Syria at the
meeting.

End of summary.

2. Selected Headlines:

"Growing Lebanese anger at the Lebanese government's positions
and calls to change the Lebanese government. Lebanese figures
and MPs: We will not allow US custody.... UNSC Resolution 1701
did not dictate UNIFIL deployment at airports and harbors"
(Government-owned Tishreen, 9/19)

"Hassoun receives a message from the Vatican which includes the
Pope's regret. Hassoun: Islam and Christianity are being
exposed to a war by hegemonic powers seeking to enslave peoples
of all religions" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/19)

"Information Minister Bilal to Lebanese weekly 'Al-Shams': Syria
seeks a just and comprehensive peace" (Government-owned Tishreen,
9/19)

"The EU Parliamentarian delegation concludes visit to Damascus:
We wish to accelerate signing of the EU-Syria Association
Agreement" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/19)

"Interior Ministers of Countries Neighboring Iraq sign a protocol
for security cooperation. Syrian Interior Minister Abdel-Majeed:
Syria supports a unified Iraq and is exerting maximum efforts to
achieve stability in Iraq" (Government-owned Tishreen, 9/19)
"New clashes hinder a session of the Palestinian Legislative
Council. Israel links the destiny of Dueik and his comrades to
the destiny of Shalit and extends period of their arrest"
(Government-owned Tishreen, 9/19)

3. Editorial Block Quotes:

--------------------

"Route to Stability"

--------------------

Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned
Al-Thawra, wrote (9/19): "There is a link between peace in the
Middle East and the stability of the entire world.... Many world
leaders have come to realize this fact and to call for a just
and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"The lack of peace in the region is caused by Israel's hostile
expansionist tendency and by American neoconservatives' desire
to redraw the Middle East map in accordance with their narrow
strategic interests....

"In the final analysis, this means that the road to a possible
solution capable of ensuring the region's stability and world
peace begins and ends with Israel abandoning its hostile role
and occupation of Arab territories, which lie behind all the
tensions and explosions. It also means that the
neoconservatives must abandon their imperial plan, which has led
the region to a state of tension that threatens the gravest and
most disastrous consequences. There must also be a return to
the implementation, in text and in spirit, of international
resolutions relevant to the conflict, in a way that removes the
causes of the conflict, namely, Israel's occupation of Arab
territories, the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq, the US bias
toward Israel, and the policy of unilateralism and double
standards pursued by the neoconservatives...."

--------------------------------

"Expanding the Cycle of Victory"

--------------------------------

Dr. Khalaf al-Jarrad, Chief Editor of government-owned Tishreen,
wrote (9/19): "Israel has utterly failed to achieve any of the
declared objectives of its destructive barbaric war against
Lebanon and its valiant resistance. The United States,
consequently, has failed to bring to life its New Middle East
plan. This, however, does not mean that the attempts to
eliminate the Resistance as a policy, thought, ideology, and
culture, will stop....

"Naturally, planners of the latest Israeli war against Lebanon,
and those who encouraged Olmert's government and supplied it
with highly destructive weapons, and those who stressed that the
results of the war against Lebanon and its heroic Resistance
would constitute a serious strategic leap toward the creation of
the New Middle East, will not surrender to this major failure.
They will not keep silent or lose hope. They will continue to
mobilize their forces and elaborately reread what happened to
draw conclusions and learn the reasons of the setback and how to
turn the defeat into success. They will also benefit from some
local parties that are working to turn the victory of the
Lebanese people and their Resistance into a domestic defeat....

"To confront this situation, we expect not only the leadership
of the Resistance and the entire nationalist movement in
Lebanon, but also all forces that oppose the American-Zionist

hegemonic plans, to conduct an in-depth study of the
proceedings, facts, lessons, and various aspects of the recent
war in order to benefit from its achievements and positive
results, on the one hand, and to draw up a strategy responding
to the popular awakening that supports the Resistance and its
policy, thought, and culture, on the other. This way, the
victory of the Resistance in Lebanon will turn into a strong
lever, a firm foundation, and a historic introduction to other
victories against modern, pro-Israel forces of international
hegemony."

--------------------------------------------- ---------------

"Palestinian National Unity Government and Western Pressure"

--------------------------------------------- ---------------

Ibrahim Shuqayr, a columnist in government-owned in Al-Ba'th,
wrote (9/19): "Forming a Palestinian national unity government
remains a pressing need to break the political and economic
siege, end the suffering, release the ministers, MPs, and
prisoners, and activate the Palestinian issue on the
international level....

"Formation of this government faces European reservations,
American rejection, and Israel obstruction.... The American
position is identical to Israel's.... US officials have warned
Fatah that it will be isolated if it joins a government that
does not accept Western conditions. Perhaps this was the reason
behind suspension of consultations on forming this
government...."

----------

"The Hell"

----------

As'ad Abbud, an op-ed writer in government-owned Al-Thawra,
wrote (9/19): "There is increasing intervention in politics by
religious leaders worldwide after the collapse of the Soviet
Union.... Religious influence received another boost from the
current US Administration, in the form of religious
fundamentalism in a secularist cloak or political fundamentalism
in a religious cloak...

"This resulted in a real conflict among religious ideologies,
with people trying to ease the destructive impact of the
conflict.... The US Administration placed the world between two
extremisms: Zionist extremism, represented by the Jews and
their alliance with Christian fundamentalism in the United
States, in particular, and the world, in general, and Islamic
extremism, represented by takfiri and salafi organizations....
Some parties are fanning the flames of this conflict....

"Involvement of clergymen in politics, including the Vatican
Pope and other Sheikhs, extremists, bishops, and cardinals, sets
political work back and leads to burial of the struggles of
humanity, struggles that were aimed at building free, secular,
civil society....

"Responding to the Pope is not the duty of Muslims alone. It is
also the duty of Christians and secularists, regardless of their
schools of thought. It is also the duty of humanity, whose
thinkers must offer a new vision of a world full of human
culture, free of sects...."

--------------------------

"Darfur, back to the Scene"

--------------------------

Jamal al-Zu'bi, a commentator in government-owned Al-Ba'th, said
(9/19): "The United States seeks to control the huge resources
of Sudan through international intervention in Darfur....

"Regardless of support for or opposition to the deployment of
international forces in Darfur, these forces certainly remain
one of Washington's instruments to pursue its policies and
achieve its objectives in Sudan. Their mission definitely does
not include protecting the Sudanese, of whatever group...."

Corbin

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