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Assad Wants Peace Process More than Peace

[Jerusalem Post] Herb Keinon - Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed Syrian press reports that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had declared a willingness to withdraw from the Golan Heights in exchange for peace. Some say the Syrian president is trying to divert attention from the fallout expected to follow testimony about Damascus' nuclear collusion with North Korea. Assad's confirmation of Olmert's message is not really hot news, since previous prime ministers have made clear to the Syrians since 1993 that Israel would be willing to withdraw from the Golan in exchange for peace. It is important to note that Damascus is insisting on public - not secret - negotiations, with the U.S. playing an active role in the process. Assad said in an interview Thursday in Qatar's Al-Watan that direct negotiations needed a sponsor "and this can only be the United States." Syria wants the hullabaloo of the peace process more than the peace, hoping the process itself will help pave its way back into the good graces of the West. Israel is not interested in giving the Syrians a helping hand in gaining America's favor. While some analysts say nothing is lost in testing Assad's intentions, others argue that even if he wanted to, Syria is already too heavily dependent on Teheran to split with Iran.
2008-04-25 01:00:00
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