Assad: I hope Obama will pursue Middle East peace 'sincerely'

Syrian President Basher Assad on Wednesday expressed his hopes that the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama would bring about a change to U.S. policy on the Middle East, to allow it to pursue peace throughout the region "sincerely."

Assad told the Washington Post in an interview published on Wednesday that he had three hopes for the Obama administration's Middle East diplomacy, beginning with an abandonment of the "pre-emptive war" doctrine of the Bush administration.

Assad said he hopes such a move would be followed by support for Syria's indirect talks with Israel and the pursuance of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and the Lebanese at the same time. The Syrian President said he does not believe any diplomatic track should come first, saying "each track will help the other."

Finally, Assad said he hopes the United States and Syria will work hand-in-hand to stabilize Iraq as U.S. and coalition forces begin their withdrawal, the Washington Post reported.

"We can't turn the clock back," Assad said of the war in Ieaq. "Now we have to talk about the future. We have to forge a process, a political vision and a timetable for withdrawal."

In the interview, Assad said that direct talks with Israel were dependent on assurance that Israel would withdraw fully from the Golan Heights and that the U.S. would act as a sponsor of the talks.

He refused to say whether he would cut ties with Iran as part of a peace deal with Israel, and said the issue of policing Hezbollah is a matter to settle with the Lebanese.

He also called for bringing the Lebanese Shi'ite militia into the negotiating process along with Hamas, saying "Hezbollah is on the Lebanese border, not Syrian. Hamas is on the Palestinian border. . . . They should look at those other tracks. They should be comprehensive. If you want peace, you need three peace treaties, on three tracks."

The Palestinian Islamic group Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and its political leadership is headquartered in Damascus.

On Tuesday, Assad expressed his desire for indirect talks with Israel, saying that they called for "more time and effort", adding that the talks had the potential to lead to direct negotiations between the two countries.

Assad's statements, which came during a meeting of the National Progressive Front, an umbrella group of parties that support the ruling Ba'ath Party, represent his first call for renewed talks since Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was elected the new leader of the Kadima party.

Assad also said Monday he believes direct peace talks with Israel are possible and that they will eventually take place.

"It's natural that we would move, at a later stage, to direct negotiations. We cannot achieve peace through indirect talks only," Assad said, speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Croatian counterpart Stipe Mesic.

The comments reflect a softer stance taken by the Syrian leader, who only recently rebuked Israel by claiming it is not genuine in its professed desire for peace with its Arab neighbors.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met senior Turkish officials in Ankara this for talks focusing on Turkish-mediated negotiations with Syria, among other topics.

After meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday, Olmert reiterated his assertion that, "Peace with Syria is achievable."

Four rounds of indirect Syrian-Israeli talks have been held this year through Turkish mediators, though no breakthroughs were made. The talks were suspended after outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he would step down.

No new date for the Syria-Israel talks has been set, and Assad didn't say Monday when the indirect talks would resume. They are not expected to go on until after the election that would determine Olmert's successor.