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Syrian President Bashar Assad waving to legislators prior to being sworn in for a second term in Damascus last month. (AP)
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Last update - 07:07 15/08/2007
Israel, Syria exchange messages over lack of desire to go to war
By Amos Harel, Barak Ravid and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies

In an effort to forestall the possibility of a miscalculation leading to war, Syrian and Israeli leaders sent calming messages to each other Tuesday.

Syrian Vice President Farouk Shara said that Damascus does not intend to initiate war, a message that was echoed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"Israel is not interested in war with Syria, but we are preparing for any eventuality," Olmert told officers during a visit to Northern Command headquarters Tuesday.

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"Israel knows that we do not wish for war," said Shara, speaking at a press conference in Damascus. "We will always be ready to respond to Israeli aggression, but we will not initiate war."

All of Syria's military preparations are defensive, Shara asserted, and accused Israel of "looking for an excuse to start a war."

"People on Syria's streets do not want war, although they will not accept anything less than Israeli withdrawal from the whole of the occupied Golan Heights. The Arab initiative is clear in this regard and we support it," Shara said, referring to an Arab League plan that calls for Israel to withdraw from all territories captured in 1967 in return for peace.

Shara said that this is the option Syria has chosen, but ominously noted that Damascus also has "other options."

Regarding his country's close ties with Iran, Shara said that the relationship is strategic, but stressed that it is "not blind."

During Olmert's visit to Northern Command, GOC Gadi Eisenkut described the Syrian army's movements on the Golan Heights as not being offensive in nature.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi were also at the meeting, as was Major General Amos Yadlin, the head of Military Intelligence. Yadlin stressed that "Syria is not planning to initiate a war, but the scenario of a possible miscalculation is still relevant."

Both Olmert and Barak called on Northern Command officers to bring "calm" to the front and avoid steps that might create confusion on the Syrian side.

The deputy defense minister, Matan Vilnai, also said yesterday that Syria has no interest in war with Israel.

"Israel, too, has no interest in war. The tension is natural, but unnecessary," he added during a visit to the village of Ghajar, on the border with Lebanon.

Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said that yesterday's visit to Northern Command had been preplanned and was not related to the escalating tensions.

These tensions have been fueled in part by the Israel Defense Forces' intensive training exercises, which are part of its rehabilitation program following the Second Lebanon War, as well as by the massive rearmament of the Syrian armed forces with sophisticated, primarily Russian-made arms.

Despite the Syrian rearmament, Yadlin was firm in his assessment that there are no indications that Damascus is planning an attack against Israel. The MI chief argued that war is currently not in Syria's interest.

As such, the defense establishment is primarily concerned that war may be triggered by miscalculation.

Senior defense officials told Haaretz that the situation on the Syrian front is likely to become clearer in the near future.

Meanwhile, the United States has been surprisingly uninvolved in the tensions, and has not sent Israel any special messages regarding its concerns over a possible conflagration on the Syrian front.

A senior political source in Jerusalem said yesterday that the American stance did not constitute "indifference," but explained that "in recent talks with the Americans, the focus was the Palestinian question. On the Syrian question, we spent two to three minutes and we told them [U.S. officials] the usual: that we have no intention of starting a war."

Another political source said that Israel and the U.S. regularly exchange intelligence information on Syria, but tensions on the border are not central to the diplomatic dialogue.

"The Americans are still concerned that we will become tired of the Palestinian track and turn our attention to the Syrian track," the source said. "The American message at this time is: 'Don't start a romance with the Syrians because of difficulties with the Palestinians.'"






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  1.   Assad`s Intentions 04:10  |  Shimon 14/08/07
  2.   War Games 04:47  |  Neil Kuchinsky 14/08/07
  3.   #2, MaoTseTongue 04:48  |  Hannah 14/08/07
  4.   Can you believe how SCARED ISRAEL IS...???!??! 04:54  |  amir 14/08/07
  5.   War is coming as sure as the sabbath comes on a Saturday 05:15  |  Joe 14/08/07
  6.   You can`t see the Forest becasue of the trees 06:00  |  Edward 14/08/07
  7.   Assad may feel pressured to fight in order to save his regime 06:02  |  David Turner 14/08/07
  8.   Attack, with what? 06:19  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/07
  9.   No War 06:23  |  Joseph 14/08/07
  10.   MI attempts to figure out what is going on in Assad`a head 06:26  |  Monique 14/08/07
  11.   #2, "Syria is a tiny country" 06:27  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  12.   Syria wouldn`t stand much of a chance. 07:03  |  Devin Leonard 14/08/07
  13.   Syria is a tiny country 07:10  |  Gordon 14/08/07
  14.   #9, Mark Lincoln 07:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  15.   Joe & Mao 07:54  |  X` 14/08/07
  16.   Halutz spread the rumor of a war with Syria long ago 07:56  |  S 14/08/07
  17.   Why no gas masks? 08:17  |  Joe 14/08/07
  18.   Syria or Iran who is in control 08:28  |  charro 14/08/07
  19.   The Israeli right wing may get their wish 08:41  |  Natallie Durson 14/08/07
  20.   Whatever Assad`s aims may be, Israel must be prepared for the 09:13  |  Avihu 14/08/07
  21.   Mark Lincoln #9 09:20  |  Scientist 14/08/07
  22.   Why no gas masks? 09:35  |  Joe 14/08/07
  23.   NO to WAR!!! 09:35  |  joe joe the win man 14/08/07
  24.   Nothing new in the front 09:43  |  indrajaya 14/08/07
  25.   #12 Sheesh! Cipora, it was a joke.... 09:45  |  Johnboy 14/08/07
  26.   Pure Nonsense 10:10  |  Burkhardt 14/08/07
  27.   Preparing the public for war 10:25  |  Robin 14/08/07
  28.   Haaretz, where is my post to Mark? 10:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  29.   to #7 talking ffrom New York 10:34  |  Robin 14/08/07
  30.   Syria 10:36  |  Dave 14/08/07
  31.   JOHNBOY SHEESH `Israeli schoolchildren" 2-3 to be exact. 10:39  |  PETER SM 14/08/07
  32.   to # 19 Cypora - Mark is right! 10:39  |  Robin 14/08/07
  33.   More interesting what are Olmerts and his hence mens aims 10:41  |  Petteri 14/08/07
  34.   War and Rumours of War 10:46  |  Infidel Too 14/08/07
  35.   #9," Attack with what?" with chop sticks 10:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  36.   all i gotta say is that i hope israel doesn`t start it again... 10:47  |  eric 14/08/07
  37.   syria-plymouth-uk-dave 10:58  |  Esther Thomas 14/08/07
  38.   The next war will be the big one 10:59  |  Natallie Durson 14/08/07
  39.   WITH what? Syria has weaponised toxic agents.Missiles 11:06  |  PETER SM 14/08/07
  40.   BURKHARDT Pure nonsense to say it would be against only Syria. 11:12  |  PETER SM 14/08/07
  41.   #28, Durson 11:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  42.   Pressure Russia. 11:17  |  Vital 14/08/07
  43.   #9, Mark in all seriousness 11:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  44.   ERIC the big lie if repeated often enough.It used to be Nazis 11:23  |  PETER SM 14/08/07
  45.   #2 and #4 Mao had a tongue but that was not his name 11:25  |  Shlomo 14/08/07
  46.   Syria 11:32  |  Dave 14/08/07
  47.   #30, PETER SM 11:44  |  Burkhardt 14/08/07
  48.   #9, and Mark 11:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  49.   ISRAEL TO FLIP THIS COIN TO DECIDE.... 11:51  |  Solomon 14/08/07
  50.   @33 CJK on fools 11:51  |  Mark B. 14/08/07
  51.   A TASTELESS NEWS, BACK AND FORTH 12:04  |  indrajaya 14/08/07
  52.   ARE YOU PEOPLE BLIND OR WHAT?? 12:05  |  BILL 14/08/07
  53.   Cipora Julianna Kohn - of course you`re no fools 12:05  |  christoph 14/08/07
  54.   #16, johnny 12:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/07
  55.   IF YOU GET INVOLVED WE`LL BOMB YOU TO 12TH CENTURY... 12:08  |  BiLL 14/08/07
  56.   # 32 Kohn 12:09  |  Natallie Durson 14/08/07
  57.   Mao about Assad the bunny 12:18  |  Hannah 14/08/07
  58.   Russia is a global player, must help Syria 12:30  |  mehmet 14/08/07
  59.   intelligence miscalculation of 3 years ago 12:36  |  mehmet 14/08/07
  60.   What Syria Needs to Do... 12:46  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/08/07
  61.   mehmet (#59) 12:56  |  christoph 14/08/07
  62.   Powerful Syria 12:58  |  indrajaya 14/08/07
  63.   THIS COLUMN IS FULL OF ARMCHAIR GENERALS 13:20  |  paul harris 14/08/07
  64.   syria-plymouth-uk-dave 13:22  |  Esther Thomas 14/08/07
  65.   To Joe... but Assad is no Arafat or Abass...are you sure he... 13:31  |  The 72... 14/08/07
  66.   If you make pace you don`t need to worry abour war 13:34  |  Adam Keller 14/08/07
  67.   Eric LEARN HSTORY # 37 13:43  |  Gil 14/08/07
  68.   gas masks in 2-3 weeks?! 14:01  |  Nathan 14/08/07
  69.   Syria 14:30  |  Frank 14/08/07
  70.   Ronnie Wolman, good morning. 14:15  |  Akiva Patysh 14/08/07
  71.   War and Land 14:23  |  Steve 14/08/07
  72.   #8 Why not feel pressure to rise the living standard 14:35  |  Uri 14/08/07
  73.   Politics & Hate . 14:40  |  Akram Zekaria 14/08/07
  74.   #43 Vital 14:43  |  Uri 14/08/07
  75.   Akiva,if the Golan is not critical... 14:50  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/08/07
  76.   #52 Indrajaya, agreed 14:52  |  Uri 14/08/07
  77.   Steve of Chicago 14:58  |  Akiva Patysh 14/08/07
  78.   Israeli Intelligence ? 15:01  |  Marcel 14/08/07
  79.   SYRIA HAS EXPANSIONIST AIMS 15:05  |  Ian 14/08/07
  80.