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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conversing with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Monday. (AP)
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Syria reiterates demand to put Golan on Annapolis summit agenda
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent , and Reuters
tags: Israel, Mahmoud Abbas 

Syria is holding firm on its demand that the Golan Heights be among the items on the agenda of the upcoming Middle East peace conference scheduled to take place in late November at Annapolis.

Amid speculation that Washington could soon dispatch official invitations to the summit, Syria's Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah al-Dardari told BBC radio Wednesday that, "When such an invitation, and if such an invitation should come, it should include an agenda with the Golan Heights clearly placed on that agenda. If not, why should we be there in Annapolis?"

Asked whether the conference could achieve any kind of peace deal without Syria, Dardari said: "Definitely not... No peace without Syria in the Middle East."
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Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence believes that the U.S-sponsored summit is likely to fail, and that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas might step down as a result.

Abbas reportedly views the Annapolis conference as the last opportunity to resuscitate the peace process. If he does go home in the wake of a failure of the talks, without a successor acceptable to Fatah, Abbas' departure would create a lacuna in the Palestinian leadership and increase Hamas influence.

According to Military Intelligence, Abbas' inner circle is cut off from the Fatah rank and file, and has difficulty exerting its authority over the various military wings of Fatah (the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the various West Bank cities) and its political activists. This lack of full control at the grass-roots level might make it difficult for the PA to fulfill its obligations as part of a diplomatic process.

As Haaretz reported a few weeks ago, MI believes the chances for success at Annapolis are "close to nil."

The IDF believes the main obstacle is disagreement over the Palestinians meeting their obligations as part of the first stage of the road map, set forward by the Bush administration in 2002: dismantling terror infrastructure. The Palestinian Authority says it has met this obligation, and is not responsible for the Qassam rocket fire on the western Negev since the attacks emanate from the Gaza Strip, which is no longer under its control.

Israel Defense Forces intelligence officers say the PA's main function has been reduced to paying salaries to PA workers and security forces.

However, the IDF also notes that security cooperation between the Shin Bet and the PA's preventive security forces and its general intelligence force has been renewed recently and ties are much closer. The PA security forces have been transmitting important information to Israel and have frequently thwarted terror attacks.

Former senior IDF officers who took part in the Camp David talks say they are also concerned that over the lack of experience of Israeli representatives to the Annapolis talks, especially in the face of the years of experience the PA's negotiators have had in talks with Israel.


Related articles:
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  • Fayad wants Israel to free 2,000 prisoners ahead of peace summit
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      1.   Is it hopeless? 04:33  |  Dan Chazan 07/11/07
      2.   Is it hoeplesss? 04:40  |  Dan Chazan 07/11/07
      3.   ANNAPOLIS THE DANGEROUS REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 05:08  |  I.Tisajoke 07/11/07
      4.   Abbas fate was sealed when he bent a knee to Israel 05:30  |  Natallie Durson 07/11/07
      5.   Abbas is an island with only Fayad a fellow inmate 05:36  |  Chick 07/11/07
      6.   The Arabs must make very painful concessions for real peace: 05:43  |  Uzi 07/11/07
      7.   SIMPLE BLACKMAIL !! 05:44  |  Jim Lindsey 07/11/07
      8.   More war and deaths, until Israel disappears 05:46  |  spyguy 07/11/07
      9.   There can never be any separate Arab polity west of the Jordan: 05:48  |  Uzi 07/11/07
      10.   down 05:50  |  Shmuelshachor 07/11/07
      11.   Equitable and practicable peace plan that may work for a change: 05:52  |  Uzi 07/11/07
      12.   It is the Arab Countries & the Palestinian problem now. 06:22  |  Akram Zekaria 07/11/07
      13.   Just what I suggested on the Talkback... 06:27  |  Dutch Dirk 07/11/07
      14.   ANNAPOLIS 06:28  |  colin 07/11/07
      15.   What peace process? Simply a euphemism, haval. 07:12  |  Stephen in New York 07/11/07
      16.   Philistines Should Not Rule ANY Part Of OUR Land 07:12  |  Yishai Kohen 07/11/07
      17.   ONLY WAR WILL COME OUT OF ANNAPOLIS 07:29  |  WARRIOR 07/11/07
      18.   Have you ever seen a diaster coming? 07:30  |  Some Random Guy 07/11/07
      19.   The word is Annapolis.... 07:40  |  Esther 07/11/07
      20.   TAKEOVER W.BANK NOW BEFORE ABASS LEAVES AN ABYSS)))) 07:42  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 07/11/07
      21.   TAKING BACK W.BANK AND GAZA WILL SOLVE SHMITA HIGH PRICES CRISIS) 07:44  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 07/11/07
      22.   Does Israel have a future? 08:09  |  spyguy 07/11/07
      23.   Abbas will not resign 08:29  |  MiddleStanian 07/11/07
      24.   PEACE PROCESS = NATIONAL SUICIDE 08:35  |  Blach 07/11/07
      25.   promise? 08:41  |  vik 07/11/07
      26.   the mystery of abbas remains after how long ? 08:51  |  victor hardman 07/11/07
      27.   Abbas has promised to resign many times throughout his positions 08:54  |  Gavri 07/11/07
      28.   Discreetely and quietly with a prayer that only the siddur could 08:54  |  Joseph E . 07/11/07
      29.   Fatah PLO/PA Abbas-Fayyad equal the Big Satan Collaborators 09:00  |  Joseph E . 07/11/07
      30.   Abbas`s last card: Resign 09:02  |  Nora 07/11/07
      31.   But when Gaza was under Abbas-Fatah PLO/PA control , 09:09  |  Joseph E . 07/11/07
      32.   Israel made sure Abbas CANNOT dismantle terror infrastructure 09:12  |  www.kibush.co.il 07/11/07
      33.   #4 - Israel Has No Future 09:35  |  Yitz 07/11/07
      34.   On Abbas` "inner circle" 09:37  |  Clickfool 07/11/07
      35.   MI was needed for the obvious? Now, the following could be done: 09:38  |  S 07/11/07
      36.   Bush, Olmert and Abbas 09:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/11/07
      37.   Israel has no obligations under the Road Map, of course 09:43  |  Clickfool 07/11/07
      38.   time for israel to show its worth! 09:45  |  eric 07/11/07
      39.   # 35...to my frend "S" 10:13  |  eric 07/11/07
      40.   It was coming! 10:17  |  Dagma 07/11/07
      41.   Re Natallie #4 10:35  |  Esther 07/11/07
      42.   Very smart move by Abbas..... 10:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/11/07
      43.   Yaakov Sullivan #33: new & old christmas trees & the craving - 10:50  |  ivo 07/11/07
      44.   #34 Clickfool 10:53  |  H 07/11/07
      45.   it is sad to not see ARABIC NATIONALIZM 11:04  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 07/11/07
      46.   Abbas should go now 11:05  |  The Arab Hammer 07/11/07
      47.   Will Olmert have the courage to resign too? 11:17  |  redmike 07/11/07
      48.   Once again, the sting is in the Haaretz tail 11:18  |  Johnboy 07/11/07
      49.   #33 ytiz 11:20  |  oil 07/11/07
      50.   #1 - Mazen doesn`t have a mandate to sign anything ! 11:22  |  redmike 07/11/07
      51.   eric #38 You were faster than me with your #39... 11:22  |  S 07/11/07
      52.   If Abbas can not stand the hit, let him get out of the kitchen 11:26  |  Amit Yaroni 07/11/07
      53.   #22- you sound like a stuck record .. 11:28  |  redmike 07/11/07
      54.   #37the yellow streak still complaining 11:32  |  victor hardman 07/11/07
      55.   #6, UZI, will you say the same when arabs take over? 11:56  |  VIPER 07/11/07
      56.   spyguy #22: go & tell your jokes somewhere else, spyguy, - 11:57  |  ivo 07/11/07
      57.   #16, IT`S NOT YOU LAND TO RULE 11:58  |  VIPER 07/11/07
      58.   #54, VICTOR ON CLICKFOOL, your a real moron and hypocrite 12:05  |  VIPER 07/11/07
      59.   ABBAS SHOULD STAY IN US FOR ASYLUM 12:21  |  indrajaya 07/11/07
      60.   abbas is the messiah 12:25  |  crobe 07/11/07
      61.   AGGAS HAD A REP AS A WEAKLING 12:44  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 07/11/07
      62.   #53 redmike re #22 spyguy 12:45  |  Labhras 07/11/07
      63.   #50 redmike just ain`t budging.... 12:53  |  Johnboy 07/11/07
      64.   Too Late for Diplomacy. 13:01  |  Stephen. 07/11/07
      65.   #63 - reponse to you comments .. 13:24  |  redmike 07/11/07
      66.   Akram Zekaria #12 13:28  |  Hubal 07/11/07
      67.   spyguy-A Bit Over Excited? 13:33  |  Jane 07/11/07
      68.   #62 - I have no problem expressing my opinion . 13:36  |  redmike 07/11/07
      69.   to eric 13:37  |  BARNEY 07/11/07
      70.   # 64, STEPHEN 13:37  |  indrajaya 07/11/07
      71.   ivo, I dont claim to be a prophet.... #43 13:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/11/07
      72.   ISRAEL FOR ISRAEL 13:40  |  CHAIM SOLANKI 07/11/07
      73.   Abbas the Quisling 13:51  |  Truths 07/11/07
      74.   Chaim Solanki and Israel 13:53  |  Truth 07/11/07
      75.   Despite of Syrian`s demand to address the Golan question, this is 14:01  |  Avihu 07/11/07
      76.   GOLAN IS JEWISH LAND. 14:11  |  Rafa 07/11/07
      77.   To #8 14:16  |  Amir 07/11/07
      78.   clauday massacre three irish priests kill little girl 14:23  |  papal bull 07/11/07
      79.   lee mon house massacre 17/2/1978 14:28  |  papal bull 07/11/07
      80.