The Hindu : U.S., Syria discuss 'road map'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 04, 2003

International

International

U.S., Syria discuss 'road map'

By Atul Aneja

The Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad (left), and the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, in Damascus on Saturday. — AFP

MANAMA May 3 After witnessing a steep decline in their relationship, Syria and the U.S. today began fresh talks to narrow down their differences and exchange views on the developments in the region following the recent war in Iraq.

The visiting U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, touched upon two broad themes during his talks with the Syrian President Bashar al Assad. First, the two sides talked about the road map visualised mainly by the U.S. in association with the European Union, Russia and the United Nations to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Gen. Powell, prior to his talks, gave enough indications that the U.S. was willing to accommodate Syria's conditional presence in the inner circle of negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian question by pointing out that Washington was seeking a `comprehensive' settlement of this crisis.

The top U.S. diplomat said that he would convey to Mr. Assad that the talks the Bush administration hoped to initiate between Israel and the Palestinians could result into wider negotiations involving Syria. The Syrian side has already made it clear that it is also looking for a `comprehensive' settlement of the Israel-Palestinian issue. Concretely, it means that it would not be satisfied by signing a separate deal with Israel on the return of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel since 1967. The resolution of the Israeli-Syrian dispute over Golan Heights, according to the Syrian viewpoint, had to be accommodated in a larger package of settlement that addressed the basic question of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

The U.S. Secretary of State reportedly sought an end to Syrian support for the Hezbollah group.

Based in Lebanon along Israel's northern borders, the Hezbollah played a key role in the end of the nearly two decades long Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. Diplomatic sources say that Syria has trained the Hezbollah, while Iran armed this group.

The official Syrian view, however, is that the Hezbollah is a legitimate political group in Lebanon and the U.S. should raise its concerns about this group's activities with the Lebanese government.

The U.S. is also seeking the pull back of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Analysts point out that Syria is unlikely to accommodate U.S. concerns on its activism in Lebanon, unless Israel, on its part, also demonstrates flexibility.

The Israeli occupation of the Shebaa farms on the strategic tri-junction of Israel, Lebanon and Syria continues to be sources of friction among these three countries.

The U.S. also wants Syria to terminate support for the anti-Israel Hamas and the Islamic Jehad extremist groups in the Palestinian territories. Syria denies supporting these groups, while acknowledging that some of these organisations do run their media offices from its soil.

Second, the two sides discussed the developments in Iraq following the exit of the Saddam Hussein regime. Syrian officials are of the view that Washington is looking for Syrian support to stabilise the internal situation in Iraq.

Influence

According to the Syrian perception, the U.S. realises that Damascus exercises considerable influence among a wide cross-section of Iraqi society, and which could be leveraged to restore calm in Iraq. But Syria, on its part, also has some concerns, which it would like Washington to address.

For instance, it strongly opposes the prospects of diplomatic links being established between post-war Iraq and Israel. It also does not want to see a post war dispensation emerging in Baghdad that is handpicked by Washington.

After concluding his talks in Damascus, Gen. Powell headed for Lebanon later in the evening. He is expected to meet the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, and the newly elected Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas next week.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

U.S., Syria discuss 'road map'

Stability: U.S. plans deployment of global force in Iraq

U.S. troops in no hurry to leave Iraq: Rumsfeld

Plot to attack U.S. Consulate in Karachi unearthed

China hails initiative

Jamali sends formal invitation

Hizb hails PM's proposal

Tape shows a confused Saddam

E.U. pact on common security

E.U. to revamp executive wing

'SARS` Virus mutating rapidly'

Pak. must reciprocate: Russia

Accident may spur China's Navy modernisation

India to get Russian frigates soon

Scientists propose quake alert system