Syria Pushed To Stop Hamas Rockets

French President Nicolas Sarkozy Beseeches Damascus To Use Its Influence To Stop Hamas Attacks On Israel

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News' George Baghdadi in Damascus.

---

French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Syria on Tuesday and immediately set to work trying to convince President Bashar al-Assad to push harder for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Last year Sarkozy became the first Western leader to meet with al-Assad in years, bringing the country out of complete international isolation, and he hoped that special relationship would afford him more clout than his Western counterparts in dealing with Damascus.

Israel has so far ignored mounting international calls for a truce and continued bombarding the Gaza Strip. Officials say the fighting has now claimed the lives of some 575 Palestinians.

CBS News correspondent Richard Roth, reporting Tuesday from the Israeli side of the Gaza border, said Israel's military was pushing deeper into the tiny Palestinian territory. The International Committee of the Red Cross, meanwhile, said with the heightened fighting overnight the situation had become a "full-blown humanitarian crisis," added Roth.

"President Assad should help in convincing Hamas to stop firing the rockets. Syria should help us to convince Hamas to choose the voice of reason and the path of peace and the path of reconciliation," Sarkozy told reporters after his meeting with al-Assad. The French president visited leaders in Israel on Monday.

"I told the Israelis clearly that there is no military solution for Gaza and violence should stop now. I told them humanitarian aid should arrive to Gaza, and I also told them that firing rockets is unacceptable and should stop," he added, referring to the attacks by Hamas militants which have plagued southern Israel for years.

"I think this is the outline for an exit to the crisis," said Sarkozy, who also warned his Syrian counterpart that "time is not on our side."

Standing alongside him, the Syrian leader described what is happening in Gaza as a "war crime" and a "barbaric aggression" that Israel will pay for later.

Syria is by far the regional player in the Middle East with the most influence over Hamas.

Sarkozy likely pushed al-Assad to try and convince Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to stop the rocket fire against Israel.

Mashaal, in turn, will likely demand the reopening of border crossings into Gaza and an end to the economic blockade on the tiny Palestinian territory which has left many of its 1.5 million residents without sufficient food, water and power.

Attempts by the United Nations Security Council to come up with a statement calling for a cease-fire in the 11-day conflict have thus far failed. (Click here to read a World Watch entry by foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk on the latest effort at the U.N.)

But Sarkozy, whose country relinquished the rotating presidency of the European Union with the beginning of the New Year, is showing no signs of surrendering diplomatic center stage.

He has condemned Israel's use of ground troops while blaming Hamas, the Islamic militant group which has run Gaza for more than a year, for causing Palestinian suffering with the rocket fire that led to the Israeli offensive.

France has no official contacts with Hamas, which the U.S. and European Union both classify as a terrorist organization.

Several European leaders have traveled to the region in an effort to stop the violence. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana joined the meeting Tuesday in Damascus, as did a top advisor to the Turkish Prime Minster.

Daoud Oghlo, the Turkish envoy, was expected to meet Mashaal later Tuesday, according to diplomatic sources. Turkey is one of the few nations to maintain direct contacts with both Israel and Hamas.

[longtree-2009]

france should stay out of it. when is the last time the french won a war, won a conflict all on their own? when is the last time the french lost a war, surrendered, refused to fight, sued for peace? if syria is such an important player in the region, and arab, why isn''t it launching strikes on israel? could it be because syria knows israel is in the right in destroying those that attacked it?

[au_fait]

so Syria who is pushing for peace needs to shut their trap. That makes sense? At least they understand that Hamas created this recent issue by launching missles at Isreal. Also if other countries feel the blockade is so terrible, why are there no air drops of food and other supplies.

[longtree-2009]

lets not forget the palestinians, hamas started this latest conflict. deaths, all deaths, in the gaza are on the heads of palestinians, hamas leadership. palestinians handed governing over to hamas in an election. palestinians, hamas can end hostilities in a nano second by simply surrendering unconditionally. until the surrender, israel should keep bombing, shelling, invading and destroying their enemy who attacked them. the majority of the world is tired of these terrorists, these attackers. time to destroy them completely when they offer the opportunity.

[babooph]

The US propaganda system carefully avoids the similarity to the "Warsaw Ghetto".

[mrjustice1]

MOST WORLD LEADERS AGREE WITH ISRAEL

Since the end of a formal ceasefire (during which terror attacks continued) with Hamas came to an end on Dec. 19, more than 170 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israeli civilians including a barrage of some 80 missiles on Dec. 24 alone.
As US President-elect Obama stated during a visit to Sderot five months ago, "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing."
No other country in the world would have exercised the amount of restraint that Israel has shown for the past several years without responding.

[mrjustice1]

Correction:

MOST WORLD LEADERS AGREE WITH ISRAEL

Since the end of a formal ceasefire (during which terror attacks continued) with Hamas came to an end on Dec. 19, more than 170 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israeli civilians including a barrage of some 80 missiles on Dec. 24 alone.
As US President-elect Obama stated during a visit to Sderot five months ago, "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing."
No other country in the world would have exercised the amount of restraint that Israel has shown for the past several years without responding.

Originally by:
Posted by Dkaufman81 at 06:01 AM : Jan 06, 2009

[antoniof123]

I say they should be given one of two choices peace or death PERIOD no exceptions.

If either side fires after a treaty kill them all leave no one alive. That is what he rest of the world should do enough of this nonsense.

[mrjustice1]

Part 1:

THE EVIL IRANIAN ISLAMOFASCIST LEADERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOMENTING OVERTHROW OF ARAB GOVERNMENTS, AND FOR SUPPORTING HAMAS, HEZBOLAH, AND OTHER TERRORIST MURDERERS AND THEIR ACTS OF TERRORISM AROUND THE GLOBE

The current Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality - must be held responsible for much of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime is working AGAINST the good interests of both peoples and nations of the world.

The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality -
is HEAVILY responsible for instigating numerous acts of terror, destruction and murder, not only in the Mid East, but around the entire world.

The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality - which hardly experiences a shortage of oil, gas, or petroleum, must be prevented from continuing with its nuclear weapons program without further delay.
(Who really believes the Iranian regime''s false claims that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes??!!)

[mrjustice1]

Part2:
THE EVIL IRANIAN ISLAMOFASCIST LEADERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOMENTING OVERTHROW OF ARAB GOVERNMENTS, AND FOR SUPPORTING HAMAS, HEZBOLAH, AND OTHER TERRORIST MURDERERS AND THEIR ACTS OF TERRORISM AROUND THE GLOBE

The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality - must be charged with;
INCITEMENT OF HATE
INCITEMENT OF DESTRUCTION
INCITEMENT OF MURDER
and with many other acts of INCITEMENT around the world.

First and foremost, The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality -
MUST BE STOPPED FROM CONTINUING WITH ITS NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY!!!

[debinok1]

Time to put pressure on Iran. They either stop supplying Hamas with weapons and stop their backhanded assault on Israel or every other country will impose an complete embargo, nothing in, nothing out, let them choke on their oil.

[mrjustice1]

To Truthin2009?

Is that true about what you make reference to

''hudna'' ?

[debinok1]

Is that true about what you make reference to

''''hudna'''' ?
Posted by mrjustice1

"Arabic word often translated as "cease-fire.- Historically used as a tactic aimed at allowing the party declaring the hudna to regroup while tricking an enemy into lowering its guard. When the hudna expires, the party that declared it is stronger and the enemy weaker. The term comes from the story of the Muslim conquest of Mecca. Instead of a rapid victory, Muhammad made a ten-year treaty with the Kuraysh tribe. In 628 AD, after only two years of the ten-year treaty, Muhammad and his forces concluded that the Kuraysh were too weak to resist. The Muslims broke the treaty and took over all of Mecca without opposition."

[mrjustice1]

Part2:
THE EVIL IRANIAN ISLAMOFASCIST LEADERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOMENTING OVERTHROW OF ARAB GOVERNMENTS, AND FOR SUPPORTING HAMAS, HEZBOLAH, AND OTHER TERRORIST MURDERERS AND THEIR ACTS OF TERRORISM AROUND THE GLOBE

The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality - must be charged with;
INCITEMENT OF HATE
INCITEMENT OF DESTRUCTION
INCITEMENT OF MURDER
and with many other acts of INCITEMENT around the world.

First and foremost, The current, ISLAM-IMPOSING, Iranian regime - with it''s primitive, ''punish-and-destroy'' mentality -
MUST BE STOPPED FROM CONTINUING WITH ITS NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY!!!

[debinok1]

Islam by it''s own admission fights dirty. It is the "way" of Muhammad. Mind you the Muslim religion is soley based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. and he became a "prophet" in 610 A.D., According to his teachings the "Jews and Christians" are the enemy and must be destroyed.

[zzy-izzy]

Khaled Mashaal your Hamas is getting it,s a-s-s kicked why dont you come out and play ball no he is the biggest chicken S-H-I-T of them all these people want to use people for there own gain they could care less how many of these people get killed as long as he is not one of them

[jsd330]

Islam by it''s own admission fights dirty.
posted by DebinOK1

And nobody else fights dirty? How about N. korea,viet cong,japanese, chinese and none of those countries ar islamic. The U.S., German, British, French soldiers will fight dirty to if given the chance and again non of these countries are islamic.
And I know for a fact the idf fights just as dirty as islam.

[debinok1]

And nobody else fights dirty? How about N. korea,viet cong,japanese, chinese and none of those countries ar islamic. The U.S., German, British, French soldiers will fight dirty to if given the chance and again non of these countries are islamic.
And I know for a fact the idf fights just as dirty as islam.

Posted by jsd330
********************
The U.S. Stores weapons in our homes, schools and churchs with the intent of having civilian casualties so they can say "Look at what so and so has done to our women and our children"? NOT.

[debinok1]

Well, I have a meeting in a bit. Got to go.

[guatom]

Bad boys, whose sticks and stones have been replaced by guns and rockets, never grow up and usually, never grow old. That''s good.

[mathew5_43]

Love Your Enemies

43 "You have heard that it was said, ''You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.''
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

[jd_heath]

Hamas has got to go. Period. The ignorant people that let them take over are sooner or later going to realize that Hamas is not acting in their best interests. If it takes knocking down the entire Gaza strip to the shoe tops and starting over, let''s get going.

[mrjustice1]

DEAL TIME Re: %u2018hudna%u2019 %u2013 NO EASY TASK
---------------------
If a word, a concept, a statement, or other expression has more than one meaning, then its intent must be clarified.

Aren%u2019t our senior leaders, diplomats and reps well-versed in deceptive wording and deceptive meanings when they hammer out a peace treaty, a truce, a cease-fire, or similar agreements?

If the Arabic word %u2018hudna%u2019 is a deceptive and misleading word to merely trick the other party into going off its guard in order to attack other party or the enemy at a later date when the other party is weaker, then how can we ever trust such agreement, truce, cease-fire, or treaty?

Accordingly, any %u2018deal%u2019 , or peace treaty, or peace agreement, with any Arabic-speaking party or nation made in the future, would have to include an %u2018anti-hudna%u2019 clause, along with ironclad guarantees to ensure that there is no other meaning than the ORIGINAL, INTENDED meaning.
In other words, a permanent, %u2019NO-HUDNA%u2019 genuine peace must be emphasized!

[jsd330]

The U.S. stores weapons in our homes.
Posted by DebinOK1

If the government told you that you had to or you would be killed, I''m sure that you wouldn''t argue.
And are you a mind reader, how do you know what hamas''s intent is other then to kill israeli''s. Maybe thats the only places they could hide their weapons, where they felt they would be safe. Thats not fighting dirty thats fighting smart. We did the same thing during the revolutionary war.

[mrjustice1]

to mcliar:

You definitely have a good understanding of the serious problems posed to the entire world by the current Islamofascist Iranian regime.

One MAJOR flaw with MAD or Mutual Assured Destruction, is that Achmadinejad AKA as Ach I''m a nutjob, stated that:
''... even if Iran lost fifteen million Iranians, it would be worth it to destroy Israel.'' [if not verbatim, then exactly the same meaning is expressed herein]
Achmadinutjob, who diabolically propagates denial of the Holocaust, also has been inculcating Islamic youth with incitement, HATE AND MARTYRDOM against not only Israel, but against the entire Western World.
How do we deal with such warped, dangerous meantality?
Do we still wonder why the Israelis and other Arab nations are worried - gravely worried?

[evian_ycnan]

How many does Israel have to kill to be war criminals? 1,000? 10,000? 100,000?

[jowand]

How many does Israel have to kill to be war criminals? 1,000? 10,000? 100,000?

Posted by Evian_Ycnan at 11:46 AM : Jan 06, 2009

Hamas are the war criminal, no uniforms, no command structure, hiding in and firing from civlialian areas/groups, hiding weapons in civilian buildings among civilian groups. ABC news reported last night they are hiding in Hospitals now.

[jowand]

And are you a mind reader, how do you know what hamas''''s intent is other then to kill israeli''''s. Maybe thats the only places they could hide their weapons, where they felt they would be safe. Thats not fighting dirty thats fighting smart. We did the same thing during the revolutionary war.

Posted by jsd330 at 10:29 AM : Jan 06, 2009

If you hide in and fire from civilian areas you are the ones responsible for any civilian deaths. It''s also one of the reasons people are charged with war crimes.

[jowand]

Achmadinutjob, who diabolically propagates denial of the Holocaust, also has been inculcating Islamic youth with incitement, HATE AND MARTYRDOM against not only Israel, but against the entire Western World.
How do we deal with such warped, dangerous meantality?
Do we still wonder why the Israelis and other Arab nations are worried - gravely worried?

Posted by mrjustice1 at 10:52 AM : Jan 06, 2009

You don''t notice him strapping 20lbs of C4 on himself.

[jsd330]

If you hide in and fire from civilian areas you are the ones responsible for any civillian deaths.

posted by jowand

In other words it''s OK for israel to kill civilians, because hamas hides in houses. But when the viet cong did the same thing and US troops killed civilians we were labled "BABY KILLERS", by people in our own country. Yet when the israeli''s do it it''s OK. Kind of a double standard. Support foreign troops, but the hell with the US Armed Forces.

[jsd330]

jbrown88881 Even if it'' wasn''t part of the USA, you would rather back the idf then the American Armed Forces. If the US was doing that to palistine, would it be the same thing. Even in iraq we were called "BABY KILLERS" and iraq isn''t part of the USA.
If you want to support the idf pick up a rifle and go fight with them, see what having sombody shooting at you or dropping morter rounds around you feels like, then get chastised for killing civilians.

[factsearcher]

Anyone else notice how quiet the majority of Middle Eastern countries have been on this conflict? All they are calling for is a cease-fire, but very few direct condemnations of Israel from their Governments. Even the UN has not condemned Israel''''s actions. Only calling for a cease-fire & an end to hostilities.
Someone please tell me that Israel controls the Governments of Syria, Jordan, Egypt, etc.. I need a good laugh.
Even Syria, much to their credit, is focusing their efforts on getting Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel & not on bashing Israel for their retaliation.

[greatdrivew]

"Someone please tell me that Israel controls the Governments of Syria, Jordan, Egypt, etc.. I need a good laugh."

Posted by factsearcher at 01:20 PM : Jan 06, 2009

**********

Sorry, "factsearcher," no laughs here.

The Zionists cannot even control their own West Bank settlers, much less the governments of Syria, Egypt and Jordan.

Syria undoubtedly believes the Zionists have overplayed their hand, and that the Zionists are now desperate to avoid an entrenched war of attrition. So Syria probably believes a ceasefire is exactly what the Zionists want and need. Plus, Syria wants the Golan Heights back - at any cost - so it''s going to patiently observe.

Regarding the Jordanian monarchy, as it was installed by and relies upon Western powers, it never says anything about anything.

Regarding the Egyptian government, which quite honestly I''m surprised you to see you openly challenge people to link with Israel, it is an obvious puppet of the West at best, and a complicit partner in the Gaza carnage as worst.

So no, "factsearcher," despite your greatest wishes, the Zionists do not control the world.

Speaking of the world, and since you like to search facts, research the South African apartheid bantustans. I think you''ll find a stricking similarity between them and the currently proposed Palestinian "homelands."

Let me know what you find, "factsearcher."

[noloyalisti]

The bottom line is that Israel must make it right to the Palestinian people. That means giving back land they cannot prove they purchased legally and sharing their wealth. And recognize the right to exist of Palestine (and not as a concentration camp).

Then they won''t need a wall which they can proceed to tear down.

[djberson]

What does France have to do with this, and how would they at all have any influence over Hamas? Hamas wants violence and dischord.

[djberson]

All I know is that Israelis are nice people who contribute greatly to the global community, medicine and quality of life. Palistinians danced in the streets on 9/11

[yongamerica]

Notice it is Syria, the same country that Hosts the chief of the terrorist organization, Hamas, that has political clout with these terrorists.

Syria and Iran - worlds largest exporter of terrorist organizations and chemical weapons of mass destruction.

[grimreap21]

In hamas-land there are no civilians, just terroists in training.

[sfcusarmy1]

djberson - "All I know is that Israelis are nice people who contribute greatly to the global community, medicine and quality of life. Palistinians danced in the streets on 9/11"

Well said

[amer1can1]

The Israelis are Taking my TAX Money

The Israelis are taking my tax money to build new homes on stolen land and an apartheid wall on Palestinian land.
We should build homes for Katrina survivors instead.
STOP TAKING MY TAX MONEY, you thieves.

[noloyalisti]

In hamas-land there are no civilians, just terrorists in training.

Posted by grimreap21

Let''s put 1.5 million Americans (preferably Republicans)in a concentration camp, cut off their food and medical supplies and destroy any hope of a future and see how soon they start building missiles.

[grimreap21]

Let''''s put 1.5 million Americans (preferably Republicans)in a concentration camp, cut off their food and medical supplies and destroy any hope of a future and see how soon they start building missiles.
---------------------
Posted by noloyalisti at 04:44 PM : Jan 06, 2009

This is actually a good idea. Especially since I am not a republican.

However, the history of hamas is in terrorizing other people. They train their young to be terrorists with the goal of destroying Isreal.

I think Isreal would be right to just use a low yeild nuclear device and wipe the Gaza strip of the map. That would end the conflict.

[amer1can1]

The Israelis are Taking my TAX Money

The Israelis are taking my tax money to build new homes on stolen land and an apartheid wall on Palestinian land.
We should build homes for Katrina survivors instead.
STOP TAKING MY TAX MONEY, you thieves.

[jsd330]

Palisinians danced in the streets on 9/11
posted by djberson

And so did the people of many other countries. And how many of our so called allies come to our aid? Did israel send any help? Has israel ever helped the U.S.? Yet you want to back them, would you pick up a rifle and go fight hamas with them? Hamas are terrorist and what they are doing is wrong, but israel doesn''t walk on water either.

[amer1can1]

The Israelis are Taking my TAX Money

The Israelis are taking my tax money to build new homes on stolen land and an apartheid wall on Palestinian land.
We should build homes for Katrina survivors instead.
STOP TAKING MY TAX MONEY, you thieves.

[anitay417]

Folks, I can tell a lot of you are irritated with FloydZepp. I understand your irritation. He is quite an immature distraction.
But, he is not going to stop his flames, his racial insults("kikes" over and over), and his crude language simply because you ask him.
In fact, each time you ask him to tone it down, he will get worse.
Why? Because, he''s a troll. And that is what trolls do. Go see Wiki if you have forgotten what a troll is. Their definition: "An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion."

If you TRULY want him to go away, IGNORE him. Pretend he is invisible. He WANTS you to engage and debate him and insult him and correct him. Don''t give him(or his like) the satisfaction. And one more thing: he almost certainly is using multiple logons. So, if you see a person agreeing with him or defending him, keep in mind: that person is likely also Floyd.
Thanks!

[jimshere789]

Why is it that there was no out cry from the so called people that care about civilians when it was the Israli civilians that have been rocketed for the past 7 years ,killing over 400 " innocent women and cildren" ? There seems to be as much hate from liberals as there is from the terroist world.

[mrjustice1]

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, JESUS AND MOSES:
PLEASE VIEW THIS SHORT VIDEO AND PASS IT TO OTHERS

www.shoebat.com

It''s a MUST for those who would like to see an expose%u2019 and voluntary confessions of why a reformed terrorist abandoned fascism/terrorism.

Thanks be to God for this!

[rusure5]

re: "French President Nicolas Sarkozy Beseeches Damascus To Use Its Influence To Stop Hamas Attacks On Israel"

Who cares what this Zionist stooge thinks?

[rusure5]

RE: "Israel does not care what you think..."

Posted by MrNegrodamus

Why would anyone care about the opinion of this abomination?

[amer1can1]

The Israelis are Taking my TAX Money

The Israelis are taking my tax money to build new homes on stolen land and an apartheid wall on Palestinian land.
We should build homes for Katrina survivors instead.
STOP TAKING MY TAX MONEY, you thieves.