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Last update - 18:40 22/12/2007
Syrian MP hints Damascus could strike Dimona reactor if attacked
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Bashar al-Assad, Ehud Olmert 

A Syrian member of parliament thought to be familiar with the thinking of President Bashar al-Assad is quoted in the London-based pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi on Saturday as saying that Syria could strike Israel's nuclear reactor in Dimona as retaliation for any future violations of Syrian sovereignty.

In an interview with the paper, Mohammad Habash noted that Dimona is well within range of Syrian missiles, and that Damascus does not rule out the possibility of additional Israeli attacks against it.

As such, Habash added that Syria has no interest in escalating tensions between the two countries, and that diplomatic efforts are underway to renew contacts with Jerusalem over a possible peace deal. Habash said that no such contacts are currently being held.
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An attempt to exchange messages between Israel and Syria in recent months has failed. European diplomatic sources said that the reason for the impasse was the inability to reach an agreed-upon agenda for talks between the two countries. But in off-the-record conversations, several sources close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert say that "the Syrian track still has higher chances of success when compared to the Palestinian track."

In the past few months, Israel approached Assad via a number of friendly states, in an effort to evaluate the possibility of renewing direct contact. The main interlocutor in these exchanges has been Turkey, but Israel also made use of the good services of Germany, which still holds an open line of communications with Damascus.

Following a series of exchanges, the view in Israel is that the seriousness of Syrian intentions is still questionable.

European diplomats updated on some of the exchanges noted that "the bottom line was a negative one."

They pointed out that there was no agreement on an agenda for talks between the two sides, assuming such talks would actually take place.

"The Syrians wanted the talks to revolve only on the Golan [Heights]," the European diplomats said. "But Israel wanted to first talk about other issues that trouble it, such as [Syria's] ties with Iran and the support for Hezbollah and Hamas, and Syria did not agree."

Olmert may be interested in furthering the Annapolis process, but increasingly, senior officials feel that the Syrian track must be given a chance to move forward.

"It is a lot simpler and it is possible to achieve an agreement in a short time," one of Olmert's confidants said. "The only problem is that the Syrians are not sending positive signals."

Another source close to Olmert was more optimistic. "The fact that they [Syria] came to Annapolis and canceled the conference of terrorist groups in Damascus were positive and encouraging signals."

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that Olmert "is carrying out an evaluation of the Syrian track and that is still ongoing."

The U.S., however, is strongly opposed to any goodwill gesture toward Damascus.

President George W. Bush told a White House press conference yesterday that his patience with Syrian President Bashar Assad had run out long ago.

"Syria needs to stay out of Lebanon," Bush said when asked whether he would be willing to talk to Assad about stabilizing Lebanon, which is caught up in a political crisis over the election of a new president.

"My patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago," Bush said.

"The reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq and he destabilizes Lebanon," the president said.

Earlier this week, during a foreign ministers' meeting at the Paris conference of donor nations for the Palestinian Authority, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attacked Syria for what she said was a missed opportunity at Annapolis.

"Annapolis was a chance we gave Syria and its test were the [presidential] elections in Lebanon. So far, the Syrians have failed completely."

European diplomatic sources said that "Syria is undermining any chance for an accord [in Lebanon] and is pushing Hezbollah and the rest of its allies in Lebanon to raise the bar on their demands."

The same sources said that Assad is interested in giving the impression, whatever the cost may be, "that without him nothing will move in Lebanon," and therefore the assessment is that the crisis there will continue.

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      1.   Syria striking Dimona, Damascus in rubble within a day. 18:50  |  The Equalizer 22/12/07
      2.   Syrian threats 18:51  |  dovale 22/12/07
      3.   Dimona is on the hit list of al-Qaeda 19:23  |  MA 22/12/07
      4.   Same old pre-conditions to talks from Israel rejected 19:37  |  Pablo B 22/12/07
      5.   Israel`s failure to prevent rocket attacks 19:51  |  Ben Menachem 22/12/07
      6.   little green glowing zionist everywhere 20:01  |  hahahahahha :) 22/12/07
      7.   Don 20:07  |  Nussan 22/12/07
      8.   dimona on everyone`s map 20:08  |  google it 22/12/07
      9.   These.... 20:14  |  Steven Mcgarret 22/12/07
      10.   # 2 20:37  |  Axel 22/12/07
      11.   Ben Menachem 20:41  |  Matthew 22/12/07
      12.   5. yep time to head back to brooklynn ben minatinous 20:58  |  :) 22/12/07
      13.   Syria has been talking a lot with no action! 21:15  |  gk 22/12/07
      14.   For #1 Equalizer - Not Sabre-Rattling But A Warning 21:30  |  chet 22/12/07
      15.   Dimona is the biggest, fattest Israeli sitting duck 21:42  |  Clickfool 22/12/07
      16.   thanks for the tip 22:05  |  frenz 22/12/07
      17.   The IDF shines against undefended targets 22:10  |  Natallie Durson 22/12/07
      18.   the equalizer 1 22:25  |  realism 22/12/07
      19.   #11 matthew 22:39  |  hat 22/12/07
      20.   Bush on Syria regrading Lebanon 22:53  |  christoph 22/12/07
      21.   Syria, will be put out of commission before... 22:56  |  mikhail 22/12/07
      22.   let me understand this 22:57  |  vik 22/12/07
      23.   The hysterical counter-threats by posters here ... 23:06  |  Axel 22/12/07
      24.   When I leave Tel Aviv for Eilat 23:11  |  dovale 22/12/07
      25.   # 11 matthew 23:12  |  Axel 22/12/07
      26.   Mohammad Habash 23:13  |  Mike 22/12/07
      27.   Clickfool 23:13  |  Arab 22/12/07
      28.   To Durson the dreamer 23:17  |  dovale 22/12/07
      29.   Zion sould consider other options to war 23:25  |  seriously 22/12/07
      30.   Zum der Axel # 23 23:25  |  dovale 22/12/07
      31.   21. yeah right look at how well you have done w/qassams? 23:28  |  get real 22/12/07
      32.   22. vik the NY zionist says `bring it on` 23:30  |  george sadi that too 22/12/07
      33.   Doubt Syria is capable of hitting reactor 23:34  |  Jewboy 22/12/07
      34.   #15 Clickfool & #17 Natallie 23:35  |  leo 22/12/07
      35.   Dimona could be striked, the nukes are not there 23:43  |  Joey 22/12/07
      36.   Clickfool you are giving foolish tips 23:45  |  Jewboy 22/12/07
      37.   To seriously #29 23:48  |  dovale 22/12/07
      38.   strike dimona with what? 23:55  |  NOAH 22/12/07
      39.   # 30 dovale 23:57  |  Axel 22/12/07
      40.   Chet 14, a lot less radiation compared to a bomb in Damascus 00:05  |  The Equalizer 23/12/07
      41.   # 24 dovale 00:10  |  Axel 23/12/07
      42.   #15 the yellow streak and military advice 00:11  |  victor hardman 23/12/07
      43.   For the anti-zionists: How`s the weather?? 00:13  |  Steve 23/12/07
      44.   Natallie Durson - consumate hypocrite. 00:19  |  Steve 23/12/07
      45.   hints 00:25  |  Shmuelshachor 23/12/07
      46.   #36 Jewboy. Israel`s water problem. 00:25  |  Maureen Ann 23/12/07
      47.   #27 - His kind only want Israel dead... 00:26  |  Steve 23/12/07
      48.   Syrian dictator only cares about his royal seat 00:29  |  Paul Wolfowitz 23/12/07
      49.   # 42 hardyman 00:30  |  Axel 23/12/07
      50.   For Jewboy, on the Osirak of Israel # 36 00:31  |  Clickfool 23/12/07
      51.   You obviously can`t read, Victor Paul Hardman Harris # 42 00:33  |  Clickfool 23/12/07
      52.   # 36 jewboy 00:39  |  Axel 23/12/07
      53.   Hey, why don`t you try it, Assad, it and see what happens 00:45  |  Dan 23/12/07
      54.   Umm, If Israel Unloads On Syria, No Syria Left. Dumb Threat 00:47  |  dyinglikeflies 23/12/07
      55.   Dovale: actually Damascus is a lot closer to Dimona 00:47  |  Dan 23/12/07
      56.   Zionist logic in a nutshell 00:48  |  Axel 23/12/07
      57.   43. Steve the UK zionist is now conserned about izzy`s neighbors? 00:48  |  fat chance 23/12/07
      58.   To Axel #3 00:50  |  dovale 23/12/07
      59.   Axelchen,why does Deutchland need Bundeswehr? You`re under no 00:51  |  Absolute Sweden 23/12/07
      60.   Axel, no one said Syria doen`t have a right to attack 00:54  |  Dan 23/12/07
      61.   If Syria will become See ya, if it attacks Dimona 00:57  |  Dan 23/12/07
      62.   "Dreaming of Dimona" ?.......(Clickfool) 00:59  |  Stephen. 23/12/07
      63.   #49 axel on the road to damascus sends a xmas message 01:01  |  victor hardman 23/12/07
      64.   To # 50 - Clickfool 01:03  |  Alex 23/12/07
      65.   To Axel #41 01:04  |  dovale 23/12/07
      66.   CreepFoot, the armchair Axis of Evil rep 01:04  |  Dan 23/12/07
      67.   Just goes to show why Peace with Syria is neccessary 01:08  |  Ivar 23/12/07
      68.   No time for peace or goodwill 01:13  |  Morris Valentine 23/12/07
      69.   What happens if they miss, Dimona and hit Teheran. 01:15  |  Stephen. 23/12/07
      70.   to Absolute Sweden 01:15  |  dovale 23/12/07
      71.   Wonder why these zionists are so boastful! 01:17  |  lakshmi 23/12/07
      72.   To Nazillie Durson: With Hezbo ?winnings? like this, who need loo 01:20  |  Dan 23/12/07
      73.   # 60 dan 01:20  |  Axel 23/12/07
      74.   # 58 dovale 01:28  |  Axel 23/12/07
      75.   google maps 01:31  |  Ronnbo 23/12/07
      76.   To DyingLikeFlies (#54) 01:32  |  Morris Valentine 23/12/07
      77.   # 59 absolute stupid 01:35  |  Axel 23/12/07
      78.   Here`s a tip izzy: you attack syria? kiss you kosher butts g`bye 01:45  |  i ain`t lying 23/12/07
      79.   ALL SILENCE ON THE HOLY LANDS 01:49  |  indrajaya