Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., October 30, 2007 Cheshvan 18, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:48 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Print Edition Diplomacy Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel

Syrian President Bashar Assad shaking hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Damascus on Monday. (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 00:15 30/10/2007 Iranian foreign minister meets Hamas officials in Syrian capital By The Associated Press Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met in Damascus Monday with Palestinian officials, including some from the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, a week before a meeting in Syria meant to counter a U.S.-hosted Mideast conference in the fall. Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, said he and Mottaki discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the U.S.-sponsored conference which Washington hopes will relaunch negotiations on creating a Palestinian state. After the meeting between Mottaki and Hamas officials, members of other Palestinian factions, including the leader of Islamic Jihad in Palestine Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, met the Iranian foreign minister, according to a member of the Iranian delegation. Advertisement The Iranian delegate spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release the information. The Damascus November 7 gathering will be attended by Syria-based Palestinian factions who oppose the Arab-Israel peace process and who have not been invited to the conference called for by U.S. president George W. Bush in late November or December at Annapolis, Maryland. Abu Marzouk said he and Mottaki spoke about recent talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He added the Annapolis meeting will be like a public relations party in the last year of the Bush administration and as an introduction to punitive measures. Abu Marzouk did not clarify who he believes those measures would target. He also said that Iran has shown readiness to host a Palestinian conference but prefers it be held in an Arab country. Earlier Monday, Mottaki met with President Bashar Assad and discussed regional issues, including Lebanon's political crisis and the tension on the Iraq-Turkey border following attacks by Kurdish rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, inside Turkey. Asked by reporters about U.S. accusations that Iran is smuggling weapons to Shiite militants in Iraq and is responsible for deaths of American soldiers there, Mottaki said Iran has no role in killing American soldiers and that the Islamic Republic regrets those incidents and tells the American people that their sons are being killed for the interest of Bush administration officials. Iran and Syria, both countries that border Iraq and Turkey have supported Turkey's actions against the PKK. The two countries called for regional cooperation to find a political solution to root-out acts of terrorism by the PKK. Mottaki, speaking at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem, said PKK's actions could endanger stability in the Middle East. "No doubt that terrorist actions in northern Iraq will lead to chaos and instability in the whole region," Mottaki said, calling on "joint regional cooperation to root-out this terrorist phenomena." He said Syria and Iran aim to help solve this problem. Al-Moallem said that Syria and Turkey are exerting efforts to find a political solution to the problem. "Terrorism that comes from PKK endangers not only Turkey but Syria and Iran as well, and for that reason we want these diplomatic efforts to succeed in a way that would protect Turkish security and the security and stability of Iraq," al-Moallem said Bookmark to del.icio.us The killing files A binder in a German office holds details of the systematic mass murder of Jews. Save the children One third of recent sexual assault complaints emerged from Haredi communities.   1.   The Kurds are not terrorisms like a Palestinians 01:47  |  e.m 30/10/07   2.   Primates Converge on Syrian Capital 03:01  |  C.Himp 30/10/07   3.   Just one little bomblet 03:54  |  IsraBlof 30/10/07   4.   mossad needs to capture them.... 04:35  |  alan 30/10/07   5.   Kurdistan 06:40  |  Fortuna Benmayor 30/10/07   6.   Hamas officials having an easy life 10:37  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   7.   So what are you? 15:53  |  Roshan 30/10/07   8.   each of these apes will fry 17:42  |  frenz 30/10/07   9.   Iranian foreign minister meets Hamas officials in Syrian capital 18:26  |  MichaelF 30/10/07   10.   iran is providing military support 21:04  |  goldman 30/10/07   11.   Terrorist phenomena...!! 21:57  |  Blogowitz 30/10/07

Today Online Bradley Burston: It's Judeo-Fascism Month in the state of Israel Responses: 111 IDF's tactical upper hand over Hamas in Gaza is diminishing Responses: 145 PA negotiator: No talks without timeline for Palestinian state Responses: 57 Moshe Arens: What the Qassams are costing Israel Responses: 75 Druze MK demands top cop's dismissal over Galilee clash Responses: 68 Rosner's Domain * Churchill became more pro-Zionist when Zionism became less popular in England * WTR: The Christian perspective of Ann Coulter * Is Tikkun Olam a substitute for Israel? * Is Haaretz really better than the New York Times? More Headlines 22:48 IDF kills four Hamas men after Negev mortar strikes 21:21 Druze MK demands top cop's dismissal over Galilee clash 22:45 EU urges Israel to reconsider cuts in energy supply to Gaza 16:08 China rejects Israel's call for tougher sanctions against Iran 18:43 Sheetrit: Jews should not be granted automatic Israeli citizenship 17:24 PA negotiator: No talks without timeline for Palestinian state 22:12 Islamic Jihad: Syria 'anti-summit' postponed until Annapolis date set 21:17 Beinisch: Katsav plea bargain's "feat" is lack of reference to sex crime 14:47 Former Norwegian diplomat mulls Oslo accord in new book 13:24 Polls after PM cancer revelation: Highest approval since 2006 war Previous Editions Select Day 29 oct 28 oct 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct 21 oct 19 oct 18 oct 17 oct 16 oct

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