War (of Words) with Syria
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Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Jordan confirms Palestinian-Israeli summit in Aqaba; Syria excluded from US-Arab summit
Al Bawaba -- May 27
US President George W. Bush is planned to meet the Israeli and Palestinian premiers at one summit next week and hold another summit with several Arab heads of states.
The Israeli-Palestinian summit will take place in Jordan, Petra news agency confirmed Tuesday. The US-Arab summit will be held in Egypt. Both summits would take place after Bush attends the G-8 summit of the world's wealthiest countries in Evian, France from June 1-3.
Jordanian Information Minister, Mohammad Affash Adwan, was quoted as saying by Petra that Bush would meet a few Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II, in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The Jordanian minister conveyed the US leader was also due to attend a separate summit with Sharon and Abbas, in Jordan's resort of Aqaba. Adwan said consultations were under way to "specify the dates of both summits."
Syria expresses skepticism of Israel's acceptance of road map
Ha'aretz via Virtual Jerusalem News -- May 27
DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria's official media expressed skepticism Tuesday of Israel's acceptance of the road map plan for peace with the Palestinians, saying the Israeli aim is to gain time and smash the Palestinian opposition.
The Israeli Cabinet gave its conditional approval to the
plan on Sunday, adding demands that the Palestinians have
previously rejected. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had earlier declared his reluctant support for the plan, subject to assurances from Washington that Israel's reservations would be taken into account in the plan's
implementation.
SYRIA PREZ: WHAT QAEDA?
New York Post -- May 26
Syrian President Bashar Assad - who has promised Washington that he would help in the war on terror - said yesterday that al Qaeda does not exist and that Arab countries should not deal directly with Israel
"Is there really an entity called al Qaeda? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?" Assad asked in a wide-ranging interview published yesterday by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba.
Syria Denies Existence of Al Qaeda
Talon News via GOPUSA -- May 26
By Jimmy Moore
KUWAIT CITY -- Syrian President Bashar Assad revealed in a newspaper interview on Sunday that he does not believe there is a terrorist group called al Qaeda, the organization widely believed to be the perpetrators of the hijackings on September 11, 2001 as well as the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
"Is there really an entity called al Qaeda? It was in Afghanistan, but is it there anymore?" Assad asked.
Is there really an Al-Qaeda group?
The Strait Times -- May 27
KUWAIT CITY - Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published on Sunday that he doubts the existence of Al-Qaeda, the terror group the US blames for the Sept 11, 2001 attacks and suspects of involvement in more recent strikes in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
'Is there really an entity called Al-Qaeda? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?' Mr Assad told Al- Anba, a Kuwaiti daily.
Syria says ''roadmap'' should include Lebanese, Syrian tracks
Al Bawaba -- May 27
The US-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, known as "road map" should be expanded and its guidelines should also be implemented in Syria and Lebanon, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said Tuesday.
"The roadmap... has to address the Lebanese and Syrian tracks," Shara was quoted as saying.
Al-Sharaa spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Union and Mediterranean nations held in Crete, Greece. "The two tracks are united and they will be a part of the whole solution in the Middle East," he told reporters.
Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom speaking at the event Monday, said that Israel was prepared to ink a peace agreement with Syria if Damascus abandons its support for "terrorism."
In his Monday's address to the conference, Shara underlined that the explosive situation in the Middle East was a result of the absence of peace, the developments in Iraq and the continuation of the Israeli occupation of Arab territories, SANA reported.
He pointed out that the Israeli rejection of peace is hindering the establishment of a Euro- Mediterranean region that enjoy peace, stability and welfare.
Shara pointed out that for peace to be comprehensive it should include disarming the region of weapons of mass destruction.
Syria blames Israel for U.S. "differences" -paper
Reuters -- May 25
KUWAIT - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in remarks published on Sunday, blamed Israel for the tense ties between his country and the United States.
"The only problem between us and the United States is the issue of Israel. There is no bilateral problem," Assad told Kuwait's al-Anbaa daily.
via Pulp Non Fiction
Lebanese army to be redeployed along Lebanese-Israeli border
Jerusalem Post -- May 22
By THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF
Lebanese leading newspaper Annahar reported today that 5000 Syrian soldiers will withdraw from Lebanon in the near future. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud announced the move during his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in the presidential residency in Ba'abda suburb of Beirut.
An article about the meeting in Annahar stated that Lahoud also told the Patriarch that a new Lebanese Army Battalion will be soon sent to south Lebanon.
Israel radio reported that Hizballah issued a statement saying that the Lebanese Army will not be allowed to control the Lebanese-Israeli border and protect "settlers" in northern Israel.
Hezbollah fires on Israeli warplanes violating Lebanon airspace
AFP via Space War -- May 22
TYRE, Lebanon --
The radical Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement said Thursday it had opened fire with anti-aircraft guns from southern Lebanon on Israeli warplanes overflying the area.
Syria, Hours Late, Backs Ending UN Iraq Sanctions
Reuters -- May 22
Syria, Hours Late, Backs Ending UN Iraq Sanctions
By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS - Syria, the U.N. Security Council's only Arab member, left its seat empty on Thursday as the council overwhelmingly adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution ending sanctions on Iraq but later said it would have voted "Yes."
UPI article linked also ...
Syria instructs pro-Iraq vote
UPI -- May 22
By Thanaa Imam
DAMASCUS -- Syria said Thursday it instructed its delegate at the U.N. Security Council to record a "yes" vote for the resolution to end sanctions in Iraq, several hours after the 15-member panel unanimously endorsed the coalition-sponsored motion without the Arab state.