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Syria, U.S. explore improving ties as Sen. Kerry visits By Barak Ravid and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents and The Associated Press Tags: Israel News DAMASCUS - In a sign that U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking better ties with Syria, several U.S. congressmen have passed through Damascus in the last few days, including Sen. John Kerry, who arrived yesterday and met with President Bashar Assad. The State Department also announced Friday that it had scheduled a meeting next week with Syria's ambassador to the United States to discuss differences between the two countries - the first such meeting in months. Imad Moustapha is to meet with Jeffrey D. Feltman, the acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, in the belief that direct engagement with Syria will advance U.S. interests, State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said. One topic of that conversation is expected to be a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency stating that additional traces of uranium have been found in samples taken from the site of a Syrian facility Israel bombed in September 2007. Israel says that facility was a nuclear reactor. Advertisement The Israeli Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the IAEA's findings on Friday and said it expected the organization to pursue its investigation vigorously, including by visiting other sites to which Syria has thus far barred access. U.S.-Syrian relations have long been tense. Damascus' support for Hamas and Hezbollah has drawn the ire of Washington, which has also accused Syria of allowing foreign fighters to cross into Iraq. Relations soured further when the Bush administration pulled the U.S. ambassador out of Syria in 2005 to protest Syria's alleged role in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. As Haaretz reported last week, the U.S. is expected to appoint a new ambassador to Damascus soon. The congressional delegations, led by Democrats, are carrying the message that America wants to engage Syria. Kerry, who heads the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations, did not speak after his meetings in Damascus yesterday, but during his stop in Beirut last Wednesday he said the U.S. would renew diplomacy with Syria. In return, however, it expects Syria to change its behavior - particularly on Iraq and Lebanon. Damascus must also alter its ties to Iran and stop backing terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, he said. "Unlike the Bush administration, that believed you could simply tell people what to do and walk away and wait for them to do it, we believe we have to engage in a discussion," Kerry said in Beirut. "And so we are going to renew diplomacy, but without any illusions, without any naivete, without any misplaced belief that just by talking, things will automatically happen." Following Kerry's visit, Assad said he expects the U.S. to abandon Bush's "policy of dictates." The state-owned newspaper Tishrin added that Damascus now expects Washington to take concrete measures, including supporting the peace process with Israel. Moustapha, Syria's ambassador to Washington, described the congressional visits to Damascus as being of extreme importance and depth. But he stressed he was still waiting to see if the visits change the manner of dialogue between us and America. Besides Kerry, Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Howard Berman of California went to Syria on separate visits. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A friend of Obama's Netanyahu pledges to work with U.S. in path toward Middle East peace. Durban II drafts Resolutions for UN summit brand Israel as an occupying state with racist policies.

Read & React Durban II drafts: Israel is racist, occupying state Responses: 148 Ex-spymaster: First Lebanon War was a Mossad success Responses: 43 France to send top envoy to Iran for nuclear talks Responses: 38 Qaida founder blasts successor bin Laden for 'immoral terror' Responses: 27 Olmert apologizes for Virgin Mary television spoof Responses: 35 More Headlines 00:25 Netanyahu, Livni fail to reach coalition deal, but agree to meet again 23:52 Cairo bombing kills French tourist, wounds 20 others 22:28 PMO lodges complaint against top defense official for criticizing Olmert on Shalit deal 19:17 Iran to begin operation of first nuclear power plant 18:04 Netanyahu vows to work with Obama for peace 23:40 Barak reportedly lobbying Laborites to back joining Netanyahu-led coalition 20:48 Will 'Waltz with Bashir' win Israel's first Oscar? 19:45 IN PICTURES: Jerusalem family gets an unusual pet 17:43 WATCH: Bar Refaeli says Sports Illustrated cover was dream come true 21:32 Palestinian Christians urge Pope to call off May visit to Israel 23:32 Extreme rightist banned from home of IDF West Bank commander 18:03 Gaza militants fire Qassam rocket, mortar rounds at Israel 14:50 Olmert apologizes for Virgin Mary television spoof 16:42 Hamas sentences accused Israel collaborator death by firing squad 23:31 Study: One-third of Israeli children live below poverty line Previous Editions Select Day 22 feb 20 feb 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 16 feb 15 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 09 feb

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