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Last update - 18:06 02/01/2008 Palestinians in Syria to host counter regional summit this month By The Associated Press Tags: Syria, conference  Syria-based Palestinian factions opposed to peace with Israel decided Wednesday to hold their regional conference later this month in the Syrian capital, a Palestinian official said. The meeting - which initially was envisaged as the radical Palestinians' rival to the U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland - will take place January 23-25th here, said Talal Naji, a ranking official with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. The meeting was first announced in October, then postponed for November, but failed to take place at the same time as the Annapolis conference. Advertisement Naji said the Damascus meeting would be titled: Sticking to national rights of the Palestinian people: national unity is the road to liberation and return. Invitations would be sent to all Palestinian factions, Naji said, including Fatah, the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Council. Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. allies in the Arab world have criticized the announced meeting in Syria, but that criticism was rejected by the deputy head of the radical Hamas in Damascus, Moussa Abu Marzouk. Syria is home to the exiled leaders of Hamas, the militant faction that routed Abbas' Fatah faction from the Gaza Strip in June clashes, precipitating the worst Palestinian split to date, and the Islamic Jihad, another smaller militant Palestinian faction. Also based in Damascus are the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the PFLP-General Command and five other smaller factions. Abu Marzouk said before Annapolis that the purpose of the Damascus gathering was to "send a clear message to the international community and the United States that ... [Abbas] does not represent the Palestinian people in these negotiations." Syria wields huge influence on Palestinian factions opposed to Abbas and U.S.-led Mideast peacemaking, but it is not clear whether it played a role in getting the hard-line factions to postpone their meeting for after Annapolis. The Maryland conference relaunched Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations that had been stalled during the past seven years of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Syria for its part improved ties with the U.S. by attending the Annapolis meeting. However, that improvement recently waned amid Western accusations Damascus was obstructing efforts to resolve the political deadlock in Lebanon, where Syria backs the Hezbollah-led opposition. Related articles: Syria suspends ties with France over Lebanon crisis Olmert, Bush and Abbas to hold three-way summit in Jerusalem Syria reportedly to skip summit, as Haniyeh calls Annapolis 'stillborn' Iran: 'True owners of Palestine' absent at Annapolis conference Bookmark to del.icio.us   Pre-Iowa Israel Factor The panel certain that Clinton is the better Democratic candidate for Israel. The Jewish connection Jeremy Goldberg works to connect Barack Obama with Jewish voters.   1.   ....The more they stay the same 19:32  |  Awake 02/01/08   2.   why iran is preaching about palestininan national unity? 20:27  |  Igor D. 02/01/08   3.   is olmert going to attend ? 23:01  |  victor hardman 02/01/08

Today Online Amos Harel: Israel is not the only one exercising restraint Responses: 20 Ramon: Crackdown on outposts likely to start after Bush visit Responses: 16 Wiesenthal Center calls on UN to focus on suicide bombings Responses: 15 Editorial: The IDF is an army that has ceased to function as an army Responses: 8 Rosner: Turning the Green Line red, one settlement at a time Responses: 4 D. Levy: With a little chutzpah, PM could shift Mideast policy Responses: 1 Rosner's Domain Iowa caucus: Here come the tribal leaders The green line is turning red Guest: Is it important for American Jews to learn Hebrew? Obama, Huckabee widen leads in Iowa, but anything could happen WTR Des Moines edition: If McCain goes up, down goes Giuliani More Headlines 11:16 IDF troops kill two Hamas militants in northern Gaza 09:10 Ramon: Crackdown on outposts likely to start after Bush visit 10:47 Obama, Huckabee head to New Hampshire after big wins in Iowa 09:07 Wiesenthal Center calls on UN to formally address suicide attacks 09:31 Barak considers calling for early elections by end of 2008 04:02 Ashkelon decides against activating rocket alarm system 06:24 Analysis: Katyusha in Ashkelon / The other side is cautious too 06:37 PA forces uncover Hamas explosives lab in Nablus 09:53 Swimmers protest destruction of Tel Aviv's Gordon swimming pool 08:37 British scientist toys with theory of a Jewish 'gene' for genetics Previous Editions Select Day 03 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 28 dec 27 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 21 dec

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