U.S. Mideast Envoy Heads Back to Syria
(AP Photo/Nader Daoud)
Mitchell, an architect of the Northern Ireland peace agreement, is also to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories this weekend, where he'll try to kick-start peace talks with the Palestinians and discuss the recent spat between Israel and Washington over continued Israeli construction in east Jerusalem.
Diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus tell CBS News Mitchell is expected in the Syrian capital Saturday night and that he will start his official meetings Sunday morning.
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Turkey, Syria Push Israel on Occupied Lands
(AP Photo/SANA)
The Turkish leader made it clear that Ankara was ready to act as an intermediary to bring Syria and Israel — long-time foes — to the negotiating table.
Turkish-mediated negotiations between Israel and Syria were launched in May last year, during former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's leadership. Syria's motives were to regain the strategic Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, and to re-establish contacts with the United States via talks with the Jewish state.
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Washington Hunting for a "Balanced" Role
A top adviser to U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell said on Thursday the Obama administration is seeking to play a "balanced" role in its drive for peace in the Middle East.
Fred Hoff made his remarks, in a bid to test Syria's support for Washington's efforts, after lengthy talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus.
"Mr. Hoff underlined the United States' quest to work for achieving comprehensive peace in the region and its determination to play its effective and balanced role for resuming peace negotiations on all tracks," said an official statement.
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Fred Hoff made his remarks, in a bid to test Syria's support for Washington's efforts, after lengthy talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus.
"Mr. Hoff underlined the United States' quest to work for achieving comprehensive peace in the region and its determination to play its effective and balanced role for resuming peace negotiations on all tracks," said an official statement.
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Non-Aligned Movement Holds Summit
(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Cuban President Raul Castro, whose country has been a key member of the movement — billed as the largest gathering of nations outside the U.N. General Assembly — called in his inaugural speech for a new world financial order to protect developing nations, which was "hit the hardest" by the financial crisis.
"We demand the establishment of a new international financial and economic structure that relies on the participation of all countries," Castro said. "There must be a new framework that doesn't depend solely on the economic stability and the political decision of only one country," the Cuban leader said, apparently referring to the United States.
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Hamas Appreciates Obama's Change In Tone
(AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)
But he said words must be followed by "action on the ground," and that Mr. Obama remains "too sympathetic" toward Israel, despite the president's pledge to work hard for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"We see a change in Washington's stance over the Middle East region and the Islamic world…but we are looking for a change on the ground. Obama's stance is still under test," Mashaal, a Hamas leader in exile, said.
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Syria Calls Israel "Untrue" Partner
5048092Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad blasted Israel on Wednesday for being an untrue "partner" in the process of peacemaking in the Middle East, saying the Jewish state should relinquish the lands it occupied if it was seeking to strike a deal with Damascus.
"We discussed the peace process in the Middle East, and view points were identical on the establishment of just and comprehensive peace based on the resolutions of international legitimacy which underline the illegality of the continuation of the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories, on top of which is the occupied Syrian Golan," Assad told reporters after meeting with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias.
"Achieving peace requires an Israeli partner and commitment to international law, United Nations resolutions and the land for peace principles. This Israeli partner does not currently exist," he said.
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"We discussed the peace process in the Middle East, and view points were identical on the establishment of just and comprehensive peace based on the resolutions of international legitimacy which underline the illegality of the continuation of the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories, on top of which is the occupied Syrian Golan," Assad told reporters after meeting with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias.
"Achieving peace requires an Israeli partner and commitment to international law, United Nations resolutions and the land for peace principles. This Israeli partner does not currently exist," he said.
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Syria Hopes For "Natural Relations" With U.S.
U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, the highest-ranking administration official to visit Damascus since 2005, said on Saturday that Washington was seeking Damascus' help in securing a lasting peace in the Middle East.
A week after U.S. President Barack Obama pledged in his Cairo speech to pursue a broad-based, comprehensive peace agreement in the region, Mitchell arrived in Syria from Lebanon to see if the time is right.
The two-day visit is the most concrete sign yet of rapprochement between Washington and Damascus — a radical departure from the Bush administration. U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, who also arrived here on Friday, attended the talks.
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A week after U.S. President Barack Obama pledged in his Cairo speech to pursue a broad-based, comprehensive peace agreement in the region, Mitchell arrived in Syria from Lebanon to see if the time is right.
The two-day visit is the most concrete sign yet of rapprochement between Washington and Damascus — a radical departure from the Bush administration. U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, who also arrived here on Friday, attended the talks.
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Top White House Envoy Visits Syria
(AP Photo/Nader Daoud)
U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrives in Damascus on Friday for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to see if the time is right to jump-start Syria-Israel peace talks.
His visit comes a week after President Obama pledged in his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo to pursue a broad-based, comprehensive peace agreement in the Middle East.
Mitchell will be the highest-ranking administration official to visit Syria since 2005, in the most concrete sign yet of rapprochement between Washington and Damascus — a radical departure from the Bush administration.
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Syria Claims Vote Fraud In Lebanon
This story was filed by CBS News' George Baghdadi, reporting from Damascus, Syria.
A government-run Syrian newspaper on Monday accused the Western-backed political coalition which won this weekend's parliamentary elections in neighboring Lebanon of rigging the vote.
"Buying of votes, accusations of election manipulations, shootings in some areas... were reported in yesterday's election in Lebanon," said the al-Baath daily — a mouthpiece of the ruling al-Baath Party, in a front-page roundup on Lebanon's Sunday vote.
"The election atmosphere wasn't void of security difficulties, amid accusations against the pro-government forces that they bought votes, offered bribes and committed forgery... on a large scale," it added.
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(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
"Buying of votes, accusations of election manipulations, shootings in some areas... were reported in yesterday's election in Lebanon," said the al-Baath daily — a mouthpiece of the ruling al-Baath Party, in a front-page roundup on Lebanon's Sunday vote.
"The election atmosphere wasn't void of security difficulties, amid accusations against the pro-government forces that they bought votes, offered bribes and committed forgery... on a large scale," it added.
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Syria-U.S. Friendship Blossoms, Cautiously
5048092Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (at left) on Thursday praised President Obama's ardor for dialogue and told two U.S. lawmakers his country is hoping for better relations with Washington.
Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Rep. Tim Walz D-Minn., arrived in Damascus Thursday in a first visit by a U.S. delegation since the U.S. voted to renew sanctions against this Mediterranean country earlier this month.
"Assad and the U.S. delegates discussed bilateral relations between Syria and the United States and the need for working on removing the hurdles that block their advance in a way that would serve the strengthening of stability in the Middle East," a presidential statement said.
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Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Rep. Tim Walz D-Minn., arrived in Damascus Thursday in a first visit by a U.S. delegation since the U.S. voted to renew sanctions against this Mediterranean country earlier this month.
"Assad and the U.S. delegates discussed bilateral relations between Syria and the United States and the need for working on removing the hurdles that block their advance in a way that would serve the strengthening of stability in the Middle East," a presidential statement said.
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Syria Tries Rehabilitating Extremists
(CBS/AP)
Damascus is a transit route for Arab fighters travelling to Iraq to fight with the insurgency. The United States has accused Syria of failing to stop fighters, but Syria's leaders insist they've increased military posts and patrols along their 370-mile border with Iraq, stopping thousands of would-be infiltrators.
"There are now some 1,000 non-Syrian suspected terrorists behind bars who have been stopped entering or leaving Iraq illegally," said Syria's Vice Foreign Minister Faisal Miqqdad.
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Syria, Israel At Impasse Over Golan Heights?
Syria's foreign minister said on Monday his country would not go back to peace talks with Israel unless it spells out it would relinquish the Golan Heights and urged the United States to translate its words into actions on the ground.
"We will not return to unproductive talks. When we decide to do so, this means that we will be going in accordance with internationally-recognized bases and formulas, on the basis of the total liberation of the Golan to the 4th of June 1967 borderline," Walid al-Mouallem told a news conference at the end of a three-day meeting of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference in the Syrian capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday after meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington that he was ready to resume the talks with Syria immediately, but indicated he would not make any commitments on land first.
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"We will not return to unproductive talks. When we decide to do so, this means that we will be going in accordance with internationally-recognized bases and formulas, on the basis of the total liberation of the Golan to the 4th of June 1967 borderline," Walid al-Mouallem told a news conference at the end of a three-day meeting of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference in the Syrian capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday after meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington that he was ready to resume the talks with Syria immediately, but indicated he would not make any commitments on land first.
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Syria: Israel A "Major Obstacle" To Peace
(AP Photo/Eric Feferberg)
"The failure of the peace process so far has clearly shown that Israel is the major obstacle to peace. How can a state that was founded on illegal occupation and continues to murder the original inhabitants work toward peace?" Assad wondered in an opening address to a ministerial meeting of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference in Damascus.
"How can a country that has chosen the most extreme government in its history be a partner for peace?" he added, referring to the Israeli government of right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took office two months ago.
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Syria, Jordan Comment On U.S. Mideast Plan
Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad and Jordan's King Abdullah II On Monday praised U.S. efforts for maintaining lasting settlement in the Middle East, as Washington was promoting a peace plan involving a 57-state solution in which the entire Muslim world would recognize Israel.
But both leaders underlined after a lengthy set of talks in the Syrian capital the "U.S. calls for achieving durable and comprehensive peace should be on the basis of the Madrid formula and the land-for-peace principle which maintains security and stability for the people of the region," according to a statement.
King Abdullah arrived earlier in the day in a previously unannounced trip and immediately headed for the People's Palace to brief Assad on the outcome of his April 21 meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, said the statement, which was carried on the state-run news agency.
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But both leaders underlined after a lengthy set of talks in the Syrian capital the "U.S. calls for achieving durable and comprehensive peace should be on the basis of the Madrid formula and the land-for-peace principle which maintains security and stability for the people of the region," according to a statement.
King Abdullah arrived earlier in the day in a previously unannounced trip and immediately headed for the People's Palace to brief Assad on the outcome of his April 21 meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, said the statement, which was carried on the state-run news agency.
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U.S. Talks In Syria Intensify
Two U.S. high-level envoys arrived in Damascus on Thursday for the second time in less than two months for talks with Syrian officials on how to seal best the Syrian border with Iraq and fuel the stalling Syrian-Israeli negotiations.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and National Security Council Middle East affairs Senior Advisor Daniel Shapiro flew in and they were expected to meet with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem in a few hours.
The Syrian chief of diplomacy is currently seeing his Finnish and Estonian counterparts who just met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
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Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and National Security Council Middle East affairs Senior Advisor Daniel Shapiro flew in and they were expected to meet with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem in a few hours.
The Syrian chief of diplomacy is currently seeing his Finnish and Estonian counterparts who just met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
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