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### Viewing cable 06DAMASCUS4877, SYRIA'S DAMASCUS DECLARATION GROUP PLANS TO GO MORE PUBLIC

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06DAMASCUS4877 | 2006-10-11 16:12 | 2011-05-04 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Damascus

Appears in these articles:
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/10402
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/10403
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/10404
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/10405
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/10406
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11322
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11323
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11324
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11325
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11326
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11327
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11328
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11329
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11330
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11331
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11332
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11333
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11336
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11337
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11338
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11339
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11340
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11341
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11342
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11343
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11344
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11345
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11346
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11348
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11349

`

    VZCZCXRO6019
    OO RUEHAG
    DE RUEHDM #4877/01 2841612
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 111612Z OCT 06
    FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1973
    INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0228
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
    RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 004877

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2016
    TAGS: PGOV PHUM SY
    SUBJECT: SYRIA'S DAMASCUS DECLARATION GROUP PLANS TO GO MORE PUBLIC

    REF: A. DAMASCUS 4482

         ¶B. DAMASCUS 4797

    Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 b/d

    ¶1.  (C) Summary:  Damascus Declaration leader XXXXXXXXXXXX said
    in an October 3 meeting with A/DCM that the Damascus
    Declaration group turns a year old this month and plans to
    expand its activities from internal group organizing to
    public outreach.  The group is still waiting for a response
    about expanded Kurdish participation, and it is planning to
    discuss an offer for a possible coalition with the exiled
    National Salvation Front, XXXXXXXXXXXX said.  EU re-engagement
    efforts could represent a positive development, if, as the
    Germans are proposing, each step in the re-engagement process
    is conditioned to a SARG response, such as expanded rights to
    free speech and the release of political prisoners.  XXXXXXXXXXXX
    expressed a belief voiced by other Syrian government critics
    that the UNIIIC investigation represents the best chance for
    change in the Syrian regime, and expressed wishful thinking
    about the possibility of an internal coup if the next report
    provides evidence of SARG complicity in the assassination of
    former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.  XXXXXXXXXXXX's comments are
    optimistic, particularly about the group's public profile in
    Syria, but to his credit, he is still functioning after a
    year.  End Summary.

    ¶2.  (C) DAMASCUS DECLARATION TO START OUTREACH:  A/DCM and
    Poloff met October 3 with Damascus Declaration (DD) leader
    XXXXXXXXXXXX, who said the DD will celebrate its first
    anniversary on October 16 and will turn more of its attention
    from self-organizational activities to public outreach.  All
    22 members of the group's executive committee met secretly
    for a day in late September in Aleppo, where they agreed on
    next steps, XXXXXXXXXXXX said.  Up until now, the group has
    established a weak but decentralized network in Syrian cities
    such as Aleppo, Homs and Hamas, which could be mobilized and
    expanded, he said.  Starting this month, the group plans to
    publicize its activities via its yet-to-be unveiled website
    and through regional media.

    ¶3.  (C) COURTING MORE KURDS, DISCUSSING THE MB:  The DD group
    is still waiting to hear whether the Kurdish Future Movement
    and Azadi and Yekiti parties will join the organization
    (reftel A), XXXXXXXXXXXX said.  Such an alliance would require the DD
    group to include in its manifesto a sentence about "the need
    to find a democratic solution for the Kurdish problem within
    the Syrian state," XXXXXXXXXXXX said.  (Comment:  XXXXXXXXXXXX would clearly
    like to have the Future Movement and Yekiti and Azadi parties
    join the DD, as demonstrated by XXXXXXXXXXXX's participation in an
    October 5 protest jointly organized by the three groups,
    reported in reftel B.)  Separately, the DD executive
    committee members still needed to discuss a September 25
    letter from Syria Muslim Brotherhood leader Ali Bayanouni, in
    the name of the National Salvation Front, offering to start a
    coalition, XXXXXXXXXXXX said. "I don't think we'll agree, but we
    probably won't saying anything against the NSF publicly
    either," said XXXXXXXXXXXX, noting general opposition to Islamist
    participation by the current Kurdish members and DD spokesman
    Hassan Abdulazeem, who also heads the Socialist Union Party.

    ¶4.  (C) TO ENGAGE OR NOT TO ENGAGE:  XXXXXXXXXXXX responded to a
    question about EU re-enagement efforts by saying, "If
    engagement means that the regime will stay, this is the worst
    option."  He said that he would, however, support a
    re-engagement process envisioned by Germany in which each
    step was linked to a precise condition, such as expanding
    free speech or releasing  political prisoners.  XXXXXXXXXXXX, who
    meets regularly with German officials, said that he has not
    had contact with Italians, Greeks or Spaniards here but noted
    that their lenient approach was "spoiling the regime."

    ¶5.  (C) VALUE OF PUBLIC USG STATEMENT:  XXXXXXXXXXXX recommended
    against a USG statement on the situation in Syria, stating
    that "American credibility in the region is at ground zero."
    If the U.S. Administration said that it supports democracy in
    the region, people here will react by opposing the idea of
    democracy, said XXXXXXXXXXXX, citing a widespread belief here that
    the U.S. made fatal mistakes in Iraq and has failed to take
    needed action on a comprehensive Middle East settlement that
    would grant Palestinians just resolution of their claims.
    (Note:  In previous conversations, he has also emphasized the
    need to resolve the issue of the occupied Golan Heights.)

    DAMASCUS 00004877  002 OF 002

    ¶6.  (C) UNIIIC investigation:  XXXXXXXXXXXX expressed a belief voiced
    by other Syrian government critics that the UNIIIC
    investigation represents the best possible hope for change in
    the Syrian regime.  Syrian President Bashar al-Asad is
    seriously worried about the investigation, as seen by ongoing
    regime efforts, primarily through meddling in Lebanon, to
    prevent the establishment of an international tribunal, XXXXXXXXXXXX
    said.  If the next UNIIIC report points to more evidence of
    high-level SARG complicity in the assassination of the former
    Lebanese PM, elements in the Syrian military might launch a
    coup, paving the way for a transitional government, XXXXXXXXXXXX speculated.

    ¶7.  (C) Comment:  XXXXXXXXXXXX seemed overly optimistic, both about
    the DD group's ability to reach out to the Syria public,
    which is largely unaware of the organization, as well as
    about the prospects of a military coup, post-Brammertz
    report.  So far, the reality on the ground gives no sign that
    the regime is loosening its grip on unsanctioned activities
    here or growing any weaker.  Despite his optimism, XXXXXXXXXXXX and
    his opposition group have succeeded at meeting and organizing
    for a full year, which is in and of itself a rare
    accomplishment in Syria.
    CORBIN

`