Cablegate: Syria/Macedonia, Pelosi's Visit, Prisoner-Swap, Iraq,

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DE RUEHDM #0341/01 1010436
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O 110436Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3279
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6706
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 4446
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3061
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RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
INFO RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 7335

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000341

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PA, NEA/ARN, INR/IC/CD, INR/R/MR:STHIBEAULT AND
JMCCARTER, VOA NEWS CA, NEA/PPD:CBOURGEOIS, AZAIBACK, AND
AFERNANDEZ, IIP/G/NEA-SA MDAVIDSON
WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC
CENTCOM FOR CCPA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO OPRC SY
SUBJECT: Syria/Macedonia, Pelosi's Visit, Prisoner-swap, Iraq,
Lebanon, Iran (4/10)

1. Summary: Syrian papers on Apr. 10 reported FM Mouallem's
meeting on Apr. 9 with Macedonian FM Antonio Milososki. Talks
focused on the latest developments in the Middle East and the
Balkans and prospects of bilateral cooperation. During the meeting,
FM Milososki expressed his country's desire to establish diplomatic
relations between Macedonia and Syria "to boost communications
between the two countries and peoples." Minister Mouallem also
expressed Syria's interest in enhancing ties with Macedonia in the
interest of both countries. "My visit to Syria aims at expanding
economic and political cooperation between Syria and Macedonia," Mr.
Milososki said in a press statement after the meeting. "The meeting
was very productive; my country has the desire to exchange
viewpoints with Syria on the latest developments in the Middle East
and the Balkans," he added.

On the Lebanese issue, papers quoted a Jordanian daily as saying
that a third group of Samir Geagea's and Walid Jumblatt's militia is
receiving military training in Israel. Papers also exposed the
failure of an Israeli attempt on the life of Hizbollah leader Hasan
Nasrallah.

End of summary.

2. Selected Headlines:

"FM Mouallem reviews the latest developments in the Middle East and
Syrian-Macedonian relations with Macedonian FM Antonio Milososki"
Government-owned Tishreen, 4/10)

"A US study Center: All attempts to isolate Syria have the opposite
result" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 4/10)

"Anti-occupation demonstrations sweep Iraq on the anniversary of the
fall of Baghdad. Americans sustain more losses" (Government-owned
Tishreen, 4/10)

"Iraqi refugees: Syria has supported us" (Government-owned
Tishreen, 4/10)

"Swap of Palestinian prisoners collides with Olmert's
procrastination. Families of prisoners look forward to finalizing
the deal" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/10)

"Jordanian daily: Militias of Geagea and Jumblatt receive military
training in Israel" (Government-owned Tishreen, 4/10)

"Militias of the governing team in Lebanon continue criminal
assaults against nationalist figures. The opposition warns against
using Lebanon as a US bargaining card" (Government-owned Al-Ba'th,
4/10)

"An attempt on the life of Hizbollah leader Nasrallah has been
foiled" (Government-owned Al-Thawra, 4/10)

"Iran is the tenth state to enrich nuclear fuel. Time has come to
conclude an understanding on Iran's nuclear program. Withdrawal
from the NPT is possible if escalation against Iran continues"
(Government-owned Al-Ba'th, 4/10)

3. Editorial Block Quotes:

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

"Damascus, the Route to Peace"

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

Ahmad Suwwan, a commentator in government-owned Tishrin, wrote
(4/10): "US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria was part of
the American popular and political pressure on President Bush's
administration to drive it to give the logic of reason, wisdom, and
objectivity precedence over the policy of instability, wars, and
sedition....

"The policy of isolation, siege, and accusations against Syria has
resulted only in the isolation of the United States and the

intensification of hatred for its adventurous and foolish
policy....

"Syria adopts just peace as a strategic option and supports the
unity and sovereignty of Iraq, the Palestinian people's rights, the
unity of the Lebanese people, and the restoration of all occupied
Arab territories. This is the real reason why the Bush
administration adopts hostile positions toward Syria...."

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

"Double Loss"

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

Muhammad Khayr al-Jammali, an editorialist in government-owned
Al-Thawrah, wrote (4/10): "President Bush's new strategy in Iraq,
100 days after the start of its implementation, has failed to
achieve any of its objectives....

"The security situation is deteriorating in Iraq, US human losses
are increasing, and the dispute between the Democrats and the
administration is continuing....

"Bush is losing both on the domestic and Iraqi fronts.... Pelosi's
visit to Syria and her call for dialogue with Damascus sends a
strong message to Bush and his team that dialogue, not the policy of
wars, arrogance, and aggression against nations and their cultures,
is the way to maintain world peace and guarantee that every country
will have stable interests in the Middle East, the world's most
sensitive and most strategic region...."

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

"Our Prisoners and Theirs"

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

Dr. Buthaynah Sha'ban, Minister of Expatriate Affairs, commented in
government-owned Tishrin (4/10): "While everyone in the West is
talking about the captured Israeli solider in Gaza, no one is
talking about 11,000 Arab prisoners in Israeli jails and thousands
others in public and secret American prisons....

"While Iran treated the British soldiers with respect, countries
that call themselves civilized treat Arab prisoners in a brutal way
that has no connection whatsoever with civilization....

"The Iranian treatment of the female British soldier was humane,
entailing respect for her as a woman and a mother, unlike the
American forces' treatment of Iraqi women, who are today writing
about their suffering from rape, humiliation, and imprisonment, not
to mention the suffering of female prisoners in Israeli jails....

"There must be collective Arab national action to highlight the
tragedy of Arab prisoners and secure their release...."

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

"Who Does Justice to Prisoners?"

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

Umar Jaftali, a commentator in government-owned Tishrin, said
(4/10): "Israel is hindering efforts to swap prisoners with the
Palestinians through its incursions and terrorist practices in the
Palestinian territories. Not only do these practices obstruct the
exchange of prisoners, but they also prevent the achievement of
peace....

"Israel is detaining Palestinian ministers and parliamentarians
without any legal justification, and the failure to release them
will remain a violation of international law and justice.... Israel
is talking about its captured soldier as if he were the most crucial
issue, and Western countries are colluding with it and forgetting
that the entire Palestinian people are being held captive...."

Corbin

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