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Assad: We won't cut ties with Hezbollah, despite Israel talks
By Yoav Stern and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service, and News Agencies
Tags: Nicolas Sarkozy, Syria 

Bashar Assad on Thursday said he will not cut Syria's ties with Hezbollah, despite other statements the Syrian President made during the day signaling progress in peace talks with Israel.

A key Israeli demand in the indirect negotiations is that Syria cease its support for the Lebanese militia.

Speaking to Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, Assad said: "I don't see any way to give up on Hezbollah. Our stance is as clear as always."
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"We do not believe that our interest is to give up on resistance... Our position is stable and has not changed, and it doesn't appear that it will change until the facts of occupation themselves change."

The notion of armed "resistance" is often used in the Arab world to mean attacks on Israel and support for militant organizations such as Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Assad was also possibly referring to in his comments. Israel is also demanding that Syria break off all contact with other militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Shortly before the Al-Manar interview, Assad said that Damascus has handed proposals for peace with Israel to Turkish mediators and is waiting for Israel's response before holding any face-to-face negotiations.

He said the document was intended to serve as the basis for direct talks and that he was waiting for a similar document laying out Israel's starting position. So far, negotiations have only been held indirectly through Turkish mediation.

The Syrian president also cautioned that the future of negotiations will rest on who becomes prime minister in Israel and whether the new leader will be committed to pursuing peace with Syria.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the target of several corruption investigations, has announced he will step down after his Kadima party chooses a new leader this month. That has left peace prospects with both Syria and the Palestinians uncertain.

Olmert's office refused to comment on the Syrian announcement. Jerusalem sources, however, relayed that Israel is liaising with Turkey in order to arrange another round of indirect talks with Syria before the Jewish High Holidays begin at the end of the month.

Any direct talks would also have to wait until a new American administration is in place, Assad said, acknowledging the importance of strong U.S. backing for such an effort.

The Syrian leader spoke Thursday at the opening of a summit in Damascus with the leaders of France, Turkey and Qatar to discuss Mideast stability and peace.

He did not disclose details of the Syrian proposals, and few details have emerged from four rounds of indirect talks with Israel over the past year.

"We are now discussing a document of principles, which talks about general principles of the peace process which will be the basis for direct negotiations," Assad said.

He said Syria outlined six points on the issue of the withdrawal line, a reference to the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and a major sticking point over which direct negotiations collapsed in 2000.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six Day war.

Assad: Direct talks possible when new U.S. administration in place

Assad said the Syrian points were given to the Turkish negotiators as a deposit. When Israel gives its own proposals to the Turkish side, then the two sides could move to direct negotiations after a new American administration convinced of the peace process is in place, he said.

Assad has previously said American sponsorship of future negotiations was necessary but after November's U.S. elections bring a new administration to office.

The fifth round of indirect talks between Syria and Israel has been postponed because of the resignation of Olmert's chief of staff, Yoram Turbowicz, who took part in the negotiations, Assad said earlier on Thursday.

Assad confirmed a report on Al-Arabiya TV, which broke the news of the cancellation.

French diplomatic sources, meanwhile, told the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al Hayat that the next round was likely to deal with borders. The French sources also said that the dispute over the border revolved around Syria's insistence that it an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights be to the June 4, 1967, lines, whereas Israel wants the new border to be based on the 1923 international frontier.

Sarkozy said that France would be prepared to support the peace process between Syria and Israel in any way the parties wanted. "France is ready to be a wheel among the wheels of the process when the time comes," he said while standing alongside Assad. "Everyone wants the talks to be direct," Sarkozy said.

In an interview with the Syrian newspaper Al Watan on Wednesday, Sarkozy said Israel also had hopes for a French role. "We take responsibility publicly for this since we are aware that both sides are pinning their hopes on us. We will never let them down," Sarkozy said.

Assad said that along with the United States, France and Turkey would be the sponsors of direct talks. He said that other countries who were interested could also be involved.

The concern that a change of government in Israel will break the continuity of dialogue is worrying senior officials in Syria and other countries.

Sarkozy is the first Western leader to visit Damascus since the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Hariri was a personal friend of the previous French president, Jacques Chirac, who joined the isolation imposed by the U.S. on Syria. But following the formal solution to the political crisis in Lebanon a few months ago, France broke with that policy and invited Assad to visit Paris in July.

Syrian television on Wednesday showed Assad explaining to Sarkozy how close Lake Kinneret is to Damascus and pointing toward Mount Hermon. Sarkozy told reporters yesterday there had been no issue the two had not discussed, including controversial ones like the matter of the International Court, which is supposed to hear the case of Hariri's assassination, as well as the situation in Lebanon.

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      1.   just do it! 12:16  |  bashar 04/09/08
      2.   Road to hell paved with missed opportunities 13:26  |  Ivar 04/09/08
      3.   WAIT!!! 15:31  |  Robert 04/09/08
      4.   Even if Assad is sincere he will not be able to keep ... 16:17  |  Jean Van Daem 04/09/08
      5.   Only a fool would believe Assad, or a corrupt politician 16:17  |  Harvey 04/09/08
      6.   #1 Bashar 16:30  |  Daniela 04/09/08
      7.   Borders 17:02  |  Jeff Northridge 04/09/08
      8.   Peace proposal 17:11  |  leiberman 04/09/08
      9.   the Golan Hights or Peace 17:47  |  delta 04/09/08
      10.   Genuity 17:53  |  Dogpile 04/09/08
      11.   Hey Israel gimme back my gun. I promise I won`t shoot you. Heh, h 18:22  |  H 04/09/08
      12.   Leiberman 19:01  |  rich 04/09/08
      13.   Before Israel rushes, ONE question: 19:14  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/09/08
      14.   Peace with syria 19:24  |  Steve A 04/09/08
      15.   Never trust Syria 19:36  |  Dave schwep 04/09/08
      16.   The six points of Assad 19:46  |  Jew- and Bookburner 04/09/08
      17.   Until Olmert steps down 20:20  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 04/09/08
      18.   Assad jr is in command of nothing. 20:41  |  David 04/09/08
      19.   Syria Chooses Iran. 21:03  |  Jean Van Daem 04/09/08
      20.   Don`t take "leiberman" seriously. He can`t spell correctly name.. 21:07  |  Vittorio 04/09/08
      21.   This is a GOLDEN oppurtunity 21:38  |  Elie 04/09/08
      22.   wont cut ties with Hezbollah 21:39  |  Janet 04/09/08
      23.   SARKOZY THINKS HE CAN SAVE ASSAD FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE 21:40  |  David P 04/09/08
      24.   Bashar # 1 & Ivar # 2: Look at geography for clues 21:46  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 04/09/08
      25.   #14 Steven A from Manchest - in agreement 22:01  |  Smadar 04/09/08
      26.   delta # 9 The Golan Heights Or Support For "Resistance" 22:11  |  Jeff Northridge 04/09/08
      27.   So permit me to understand 22:43  |  Arie 04/09/08
      28.   Assad: will continue "resistance," will keep supporting Hezbolla 22:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/09/08
      29.   Steve A #14: that`s only possible on certain conditions - 22:45  |  ivo 04/09/08
      30.   Meaningless Proposal 22:47  |  Awake 04/09/08
      31.   #14/#19..Steven/Smadar 23:11  |  Nemesis 04/09/08
      32.   #1 Just Do It! 23:46  |  Bill Foonman 04/09/08
      33.   Syrian idea of Peace 00:14  |  Simcha 05/09/08
      34.   #242 Because of Res 242, Jeff 00:58  |  Johnboy 05/09/08
      35.   Assad is a terrorist & we need toe Golan more than his signature 01:06  |  zionist forever 05/09/08
      36.   #7 You should read the Golan Heights Law again, Jeff 01:06  |  Johnboy 05/09/08
      37.   Assad peace crap proposal 01:10  |  Brod 05/09/08
      38.   #11 H, isn`t that how EVERY military occupation ends? 01:12  |  Johnboy 05/09/08
      39.   #13 Pretty simple, I would have thought, Fortuna 01:18  |  Johnboy 05/09/08
      40.   The Games is Over 01:28  |  Ron 05/09/08
      41.   UN Resolution 1701 BETRAYED Israel & Free World 01:28  |  Linda Rivera 05/09/08
      42.   Sarkozy Honeymoon on the International Stage. 01:53  |  Akram Zekaria 05/09/08
      43.   No deal, please! 01:57  |  utagawa 05/09/08
      44.   Assad, Bibi will take on the challenge 02:13  |  John 05/09/08
      45.   Elie? want to by the CN Tower in Toronto? 02:18  |  John 05/09/08
      46.   #4a, jean van daem 03:07  |  VIPER 05/09/08
      47.   Assad`s Ridiculous Version of "Peace" 03:25  |  Brad 05/09/08
      48.   #18 Marvelous logic there Darth... 05:08  |  Johnboy 05/09/08
      49.   So forget about the Golan then, Assad. 07:43  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/09/08
      50.   Johnboy: Learn a Little About the Law of Water 08:26  |  Brad 05/09/08
      51.   #14: Steve from Manchester 08:53  |  Brad 05/09/08
      52.   Ties with Hezbolllah or Peace with Israel (Delta re No.9) 08:59  |  Hastaroth 05/09/08
      53.   "something constructive" 09:03  |  Hastaroth 05/09/08
      54.   assad and promises 09:12  |  Michael T 05/09/08
      55.   Say`s it all folks, Assad the snake 09:45  |  Harvey 05/09/08
      56.   Steve A 10:04  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 05/09/08
      57.   #40 Right back atcha` Brad 11:17  |  Johnboy 05/09/08
      58.   Johnboy # 48: skating hard at the edge of common sense 16:23  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 05/09/08
      59.   assad full of wind as hizbully and the US/Israeli fallen away 17:46  |  glenna 05/09/08
      60.   Will he cut ties with Hez after peace deal is the question 20:19  |  Mark B. 05/09/08
      61.   For Johnboy, thank you for your answer, But: 20:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/09/08
      62.   #60 Fortuna as Madonna 02:20  |  Johnboy 06/09/08
      63.   #58 Darth Zader 02:30  |  Johnboy 06/09/08
      64.   #58, DARTH ZAIDER, what century do you live in? 03:01  |  VIPER 06/09/08
      65.   HERE`S A DEAL 03:03  |  VIPER 06/09/08
      66.   # 64 Viper: that is why you are a viper living in Australia 12:24  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 06/09/08
      67.   Johnboy # 63: please show your arbitrator license first