'Syria wants Brazil to help negotiate Mideast peace'
Assad tells Brazil paper he will discuss possibility of Brazil helping bring Israel to the table with other Arab countries to diffuse tensions stemming from its policy on Gaza.
By Reuters Tags: Brazil Syria Israel newsSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has invited Brazil to help negotiate peace in the Middle East, a sign that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has strengthened his country's standing abroad.
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. |
| Photo by: AP |
IIn an interview in Brazil's Estado de S. Paulo newspaper published on Sunday, Assad said he would discuss the possibility of Brazil helping bring Israel to the table with other Arab countries to diffuse tensions stemming from its policy on Gaza.
Lula along with Turkey unsuccessfully sought to broker a solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis, "In my view, the combined effort of Brazil and Turkey in the Iranian nuclear question has raised Brazil's role to a new level," Assad said. "For this, we hope Brazil can act to stabilize the Middle East."
In a rare visit to Latin America that started on Friday, Assad is traveling to Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Cuba in a bid to extend his diplomatic reach as Syria emerges from isolation from the West and seeks needed investments in its tattered infrastructure.
Nearing the end of a successful and extremely popular two-term presidency, Lula has intensified his efforts to bring Brazil greater international recognition.
"Brazil's foreign minister (Celso Amorim) said Brazil is interested in the peace process and we welcome Brazil's help," Assad said, suggesting that Brazil might help bring the Israelis to future negotiations with Arab countries in the region.
Israeli security forces killed nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists on May 31 when it boarded an aid ship attempting to break its blockade on Gaza. Bowing to international pressure, Israel has eased its blockade but tensions between Israel and its neighbors remain high.
Brazil and Turkey helped broker an agreement announced in May under which Tehran would send uranium abroad, similar to an earlier fuel swap plan drafted by the United Nations to keep Iran's nuclear activities in check.
This quickly fell apart as the UN Security Council pushed through tighter UN sanctions against Iran in June, arguing that Iran was merely attempting to stall international demands that it curb its uranium enrichment program.
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I thought that a minimum of historical knowledge would be a prerequisite for giving statements like yours. USSR has annected large parts of Poland and of East-Prussia following the 2nd world war, parts of Romania too till to this day. Since it had no contiguous borders with Germany it pushed the territory of Poland to the west - Poland took from Germany a surface corresponding to that lost to the Soviets. Ignorance and stupidity can not explain such one-sidedness. We can offer many other examples showing how disgraceful manipulation + ignorance may be.
Brazil is a large Catholic country and one of the leaders of the non aligned countries. Catholics are the largest religious group in the US/World and likely the most powerful. This move could undermine the power of Jewish group in the US.
along with Turkey and Iran. Next time you better bring some very big guns because apparently your brothers "brought a knife to a gun fight "last time.
From the end of 14 century until the end of the WWII, Germany and France had been fighting over the Alsace-Lorraine despite the fact it is a small piece of land. Similarly, Syria and Israil have been fighting over the Golan and they will continue to do so until the two states realizes the worthlessness of this fight. "Those who do not understand history are condemned of repeating its mistakes". Return the land to its landlord, and let us shake hand and move on....
....he screwed up enough already with Ahmadinejad and Erdogan. The less he "does", the better for Brazil too.
this guy is unreal. imagine going to the other side of the world to make a fool of yourself.
If there were a real (large) world community perhaps shame/decency would again become relevant in the way our most cursed passions deal with each other. Welcome Lula.
Yes, it's correct! Lula can save Israel from be detroyed by the Arabs. In the next war Israel will be defeated and the US don't will upset their friends Arabs. By the way, US loves the Jews. Just count how many bombs they throw over Nazi concentration campi in WWII.
Brazil and Turkey vote in favor of Iran. Lula refused to visit Rabin's grave, but went to Arafat's. Anyone who read the Brazialian and Turkey's deal with Iran would understand why Assad is choosing Lula as a mediator.
I guess it is Israel who isn't interested in peace.
Your headline is correct. Syria is not interested in peace. If they were, then we'd be in peace like with Jordan and Egypt.
Assad should be courageous if he wants peace by offering full, complete and immediate normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for the peaceful return of the Golan Heights. From Israel`s point of view, that`s a deal worth taking while Syria has nothing to lose. Does this make too much sense for the childish parties involved? Winning a war, as Israel did in 1967, does not entitle you to keep the other peoples' territory. The United States, Britain and the USSR did not keep Germany, Italy or Japan after WW2. You fight wars for peace. By giving back Syria's territory in exchange for peace and full normalization, Israel will have achieved its goal. If Syria is too immature to make this offer then Israel should. By "normalization" I mean relations that will allow an Israeli to drive up to Damascus for lunch while a Syrian can drive down to Tel Aviv to go to the beach or a club. That's true normalization. Everybody gets what they want.
USA still has troops in Japan, Russia took part of Finland, part of Poland and took a German city, Kalingrad and still doesn't have a peace treaty with Japan, because USSR took 4 Japanese island sduring the WWII. Please learn history.
But how about supplying weapons to Hezbollah? How abbout supporting Iran? Poor knowledge of history besides. USSR took some German land in Kenigsberg area which is now Russian city of Kaliningrad. Even more German lands were taken by Poland and Chechoslovakia (Chechia).
To reach the agreement, Israel had to FIRST AGREE to withdraw. It then had to withdraw before normal relations....
Remember that Erdogan was brokering such a peace deal between Syria and Israel. Just at the point of signing, Israel starts the Gaza invasion. Erdogan hears about this in the news and feels stabbed in the back. That was the beginning of the end of the old Turkish-Israeli friendship: Davos, low-chair diplomacy, flotilla raid, just to name the main events. Who acts in a normal fashion, who wants peace?
Worst then him , Netanyahu may be a lier , deceiver and arrogant but would probebly never kill thousands of his country's people to stay in power like Assad's father did !! Assad relizes that Israel is not interested in peace so what does he do , he wants to show the whole world that he wants peace , 1st he gets turkey involved and then wants France and now why not Brazil and who know which country he is going to ask next , it is a bluff game that both countries are playing , I am syrian and I would like the people to make peace not the stupid politicians , only then we could have real peace , I wish somehow there was communications between real people from both countries where their not playing with our future ... I am sick hearing about killing & death in the middle east Peace to both our people
It is always worthwhile to try where others have failed. Propaganda and lies often blur the issues. With time and differing negotiators, more leaders become intimately aware of the barriers to peace.
people back here don't take our president seriouslly anymore, shouldnt Assad as well. Theres elections this year, and no matter who wins, the next president wont have political support enought in the congress or with public opinion to such a thing. Lula could do something about it 2 or 3 years ago, but now in the end of his mandate he wont even bother to spend time qith that, as he focus and energy will be with domestical policy.
Sheer rightwing lunacy. I am Brazilian and, yes, our president is still taken very seriously "back here". Haven't you heard of his 80%-plus approval rate? And the favourite candidate in this year's election, Dilma Rousseff, is bound, if elected, to continue Lula's policies at home AND in the international arena.
lula is a jew hater... I say we let canada be the judge. europe is not to be trusted, nor is the US, nor is asia, nor is south america....canada is really the best choice. No axe to grind, always fair, always honest.
Advice stop using the term "Jew hater " "anti Semite " that stuff is getting to old no one believes it anymore , especially when you think the whole world is a Jew hater !!!
Sure, pick Harper, the most right-wing, pro-Likud politician left in the West to act as 'judge'. Harper is an evangelist who doesn't give a fig about Jews or Israel's security, don't kid yourselves. Like Netanyahu, he is only interested in power. Ask the Canadian people, and they'll get you a peace deal you won't like a bit, much along European lines of fairness.
Its a jew-hater, pro-arab, complacent to Jihadi world order, unfair, not to be trusted...all the adjectives you just flung at half the world's nations and people...Everyone is wrong unless they agree with Israel and right when they do...yaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnn
There is something really wrong in the State of Israel if as Judah say you cannot trust anybody!!!!!!!!!
The provocation staged by Canada's Harper, appending a defunct-G8 get-together in Canada simultaneous with the G20 meeting, has had at least one positive result: unable to reach an agreement on any substantial issues, that decadent body had to settle for what ir could agree on: the Gaza situation unsustainable and Iran has a right to develop a civil nuclear program, provided it abides by international laws (but *everybody* has to abide international laws, and Iran does it too).
Brazil & Turkey were looking for a little of the prestige of being involved in the Middle East peace making in their case solving the Iranian nuclear issue. The international community rejected their offer giving them the shrug off. No high profile prestigious Brazil back to being a Brazil nobody is interested in turning to when there are problems. The rest of the world might not be interested in Brazils help but here comes Assad he is begging Brazil to get involved in the hope he can charm the Brazilians into becoming a friend of Syria and taking his side in any future political or military showdown with Israel.
Dear Mr Zionist, There will soon come a time in the near future where you will resent what you have stated above. Just remember who lives by the sword will die by the sword.
Israel will never get a fair deal from this lefty.
Mr. John. Why do you think Left is against Israel? You had several Prime Ministers and Presidents, from Labor Party; Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Rabin, Shimon Peres, etc. You confound SocialDemocracy with Bolchevism. Our President belongs to the first one, and his goal is achieving Peace. Luiz Haddad, Brazil.
You don't know what you're talking about. The Free Trade Agreement Israel signed with Mercosur, worth billions of dollars in yearly trade, was signed thanks to Lula's efforts.
Lula went to Arafat's grave during his last visit. By this he showed he is condoning terror. This makes him unsuitable for peace talks.
One patriot honoring another. You could say the same when he met Netanyahu and Obama. It all depends on the 'side' your on.
By this he showed that he is condoning terror.