Israeli official denies U.S. supervisors will take part in Israel-Syria peace talks

A senior European official visiting Israel told the London-based Arabic language newspaper Al Sharq al-Awsat that an American observer was scheduled to take part in indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria to be held in Turkey in two weeks, the paper reported Saturday.

An official in Jerusalem, however, told Haaretz the report was untrue and that he had no knowledge of any U.S. involvement in the peace talks, currently being held indirectly under Turkish mediation.

The report, however, included confirmation by an Israeli source that a U.S. official was in fact to act as an observer in the upcoming talks.

The report marks the first time the possibility of U.S. participation in Israel-Syria talks has been brought up since the collapse of U.S. mediated negotiations in the Shepherdstown summit, held in West Virginia in 2000.

The talks, led by then prime minister Ehud Barak, failed to yield any concrete results, but both Syrian and Israeli officials did vow to return to negotiations as soon as possible, but have yet to fulfill that vow.

Syria has said in the past that any successful negotiations would need the participation of American supervisors, and could only be held after President George W. Bush leaves office.

An official in Damascus told Al Sharq Al-Awsat that due to Syrian suspicions towards the United States, it is not clear whether Syria will ask for them to help in negotiations.

U.S. State Department official John Sullivan told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the United States supports continued Israel-Syria talks, but said he could not confirm whether or not U.S. supervisors would participate in any future round of negotiations.

On Thursday, Syrian President Bashar Assad spoke at a a summit in Damascus with the leaders of France, Turkey and Qatar to discuss Mideast stability and peace, saying that Damascus has handed proposals for peace with Israel to Turkish mediators and is waiting for Israel's response before holding any face-to-face negotiations.

He said the document was intended to serve as the basis for direct talks and that he was waiting for a similar document laying out Israel's starting position.

The Syrian president also cautioned that the future of negotiations will rest on who becomes prime minister in Israel and whether the new leader will be committed to pursuing peace with Syria.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the target of several corruption investigations, has announced he will step down after his Kadima party chooses a new leader this month. That has left peace prospects with both Syria and the Palestinians uncertain.

Olmert's office refused to comment on the Syrian announcement. Jerusalem sources, however, relayed that Israel is liaising with Turkey in order to arrange another round of indirect talks with Syria before the Jewish High Holidays begin at the end of the month.