Asad: No Talks Without Serious Golan Initiative

Asad is sticking to his negotiating position on the Golan. He does not want his pockets picked going into Maryland. The Arab league is of similar mind. This suggests that Saudi Arabia and Syria have been putting their heads together to some extent – a least by means of Egyptian mediation. This is a good thing. Arab unity has been absent since the invasion of Iraq, leaving the region prostrate at the feet of the West and Iran.

Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt must put their heads together going into talks with the Israelis or it will be all process and no peace – that is what the Israelis and some in the Bush administration want. It is the duty of the Arab governments to get a higher price for their participation. Their stock is already low enough as it is. The last thing they need is another round of fruitless negotiations that lead nowhere but to the loss of more land in the West Bank and a lower standard of living for the Palestinians.

Al-Assad: No peace initiative without Golan can be serious
Nov 15, 2007, DPA

Damascus – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday any peace initiative not including the Golan Heights could not be serious and would not achieve fair and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Al-Assad made the statement during a meeting with the Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa who arrived in Damascus overnight for talks on the upcoming Middle East peace conference in the United States and Lebanon's upcoming presidential elections.

Moussa and al-Assad also discussed an extraordinary meeting for the foreign ministers of the member countries in the AL committee to follow up on Arab peace initiatives with Israel.

Syria has repeatedly said it will not participate in the conference in Annapolis, Maryland that was called by US President George W Bush unless the issue of the occupied Golan Heights was placed on the agenda.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hinted earlier this week that Syria would be invited to the Annapolis conference, in a move that would contradict the US policy of isolating the Baathist Syrian government, press reports said.

Rice also said it would be likely that to follow up on the 2002 Saudi peace proposal, members of the AL committee – Syria is among them – would be invited to Annapolis.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reportedly sent a message to the Syrian president informing him he was interested in resuming peace talks with Syria.

Moussa had earlier told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that Arab countries would need guarantees and a timetable for talks over a final solution to their conflict with Israel as a condition to their participation in the Annapolis meeting.

According to Moussa, the Arab countries are against open-ended talks with Israel. 'This was our mistake in the 1990s that we will not repeat,' he said.

Israeli military bulldozers are digging trenches on the Golan Heights
By Gwen Ackerman
Nov. 15 (Bloomberg)

Israeli military bulldozers are digging trenches on the Golan Heights intended to stop a possible Syrian tank invasion, the daily Ma'ariv said, citing unidentified army officials.

The digging started two weeks ago and officials told the newspaper the trenches were a defensive measure in case of a Syrian thrust deep into the strategic plateau, Ma'ariv said.

Comments (10)


Losing Hope Quickly said:

I understand all the problems surrounding Syria going to Maryland but I still think the Syrian position is a mistake…

Israelis have always been very clever in negotiations with the Arabs – throughout the history of the establishment of the state of Israel and since then, even when they did not agree with a proposal they would agree to attend meetings and would proceed to negotiate everything they didn’t like off the table… my professor used to call this the ‘Yes, but…’ approach.

On the other hand, Arabs have tended to be quick to dismiss proposed negotiations in an attempt to appear steadfast in the face of international pressure and Israel this approach however, has not worked.

Syria should attend even if the Golan is not on the agenda because clearly its role in Palestinian affairs is considerable and goes beyond the Golan issue…it would be better for Syria to be in the process and have an input rather than aid the process of sidelining Syria…not going just plays into the hands of right-wing politicians in Israel, the US and Europe…who already claim that Syria is not serious about making peace with Israel (despite Assad’s calls for negotiations earlier this year)

November 15th, 2007, 2:59 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

Professor Josh adds editorial commentary:

He does not want his pockets picked going into Maryland.

Yes, billionaires have so much to lose.

November 15th, 2007, 5:24 pm

 

abraham said:

Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt must put their heads together going into talks with the Israelis or it will be all process and no peace

They may as well bash their heads together endlessly because that would be more useful than expecting Israelstan to move beyond process. The Saudi Arabin and Egyptian delegations sould just stay home and imprison and torture more of their political dissidents. They may as well stick to what they’re good at, because making peace is about as high on their priority list as Israel’s.

Syria should attend and just use its plenary to bash Israel. They can start with the theft of Palestinian land in 1948 to create Israel and then go from there. There’s plenty of material from which to draw, including collective punishment, home demolitions, illegal settlement, extrajudicial killings, murder, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, dozens of unfulfilled UN resolutions, etc. At least then their visit will be minimally worthwhile.

November 15th, 2007, 8:40 pm

 

Seeking the Truth said:

That was a funny comment Abraham, like the sarcasm of using your pseudonym. Ya, laughter may be the best medicine!

November 15th, 2007, 9:21 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

Abraham recommends (Akbar responds):

Syria should attend and just use its plenary to bash Israel. They can start with the theft of Palestinian land in 1948 to create Israel and then go from there.

(And Israel can respond that the Arabs rejected partition and instead opted for what they do best – start wars)

There’s plenty of material from which to draw…

(And there are plenty of reasons to explain)

, including collective punishment…

Like Arab terrorism including:

holding children in school hostage, shooting up airports, hijacking aircraft, bombing public places, drive-by shootings and knifings, and other murders

, home demolitions…

…per British law on families found responsible for engaging in terror.

, illegal settlement…

which isn’t illegal

, extrajudicial killings…

… of terrorists at war with Israel just as any other combatant is killed in any other war.

, murder,…

Killing combatants is not murder. Specifically targeting innocent civilians like most Arab terrorist organizations do IS murder.

… war crimes,…

targeting innocent civilians is a war crime. So is fighting among the civilian population.

crimes against humanity…

which Israel has never been found guilty of

…genocide

see above, only in Abraham weird imagination

, dozens of unfulfilled UN resolutions…

unfulfilled and unbinding

At least then their visit will be minimally worthwhile.

Their visit will never be worthwhile as long as the Assad goons continue to support Islamofascist jihadists.

Most Americans would agree.

November 15th, 2007, 9:24 pm

 

abraham said:

Seeking the Truth said:

That was a funny comment Abraham, like the sarcasm of using your pseudonym. Ya, laughter may be the best medicine!

Well, it’s not so much a pseudonym as it is my name. Arab Muslims can be called Abraham, too.

November 15th, 2007, 10:47 pm

 

abraham said:

Oh bother, Akrood Pal-ass is trying to address me again.

(And Israel can respond that the Arabs rejected partition and instead opted for what they do best – start wars)

Arabs were right to reject partition, because the land of Palestine is owned by Arabs, not by western powers that had no right to give it away. When you’re prepared to partition your house and give 55% of it away to squatters then maybe you’ll have the moral ground to comment on the theft of Palestinian land. But you’ll still be wrong.

…holding children in school hostage…

And holding entire villages hostage by surrounding them with a 20 foot high concrete barrier is…hospitality?

…shooting up airports…

And destroying the Palestinian airport is…a construction project?

…hijacking aircraft…

And hijacking an entire peoples’ existence is…a charity project?

…bombing public places…

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Are you writing this with a straight face? Please name one day in the past 10 years when Israel has not bombed a public place inside Palestinian cities, towns and villages.

Just one.

Go ahead.

I’ll wait.

…per British law on families found responsible for engaging in terror.

Look! Everyone look! Read the above comment. He has to go back 60 years and dredge up ancient history in a pathetic attempt to answer to Israel’s war crimes. We’re talking about today. Now.

Not to mention that British law has no relevance.

Not to mention destroying the homes of civilians is a war crimes under the 4th Geneva Conventions. Are you saying the Geneva Conventions are wrong?

illegal settlement…

which isn’t illegal

Oh? Are you serious? No, really, are you serious? Last I checked, Israel was a member of the United Nations. The UN says it’s illegal. Are you saying the UN is wrong?

Resolution 446: “…‘determines’ that Israeli settlements are a ‘serious obstruction’ to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”

Resolution 452: “…‘calls’ on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories”

Resolution 465: “…‘deplores’ Israel’s settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel’s settlements program”

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/un.html

, extrajudicial killings…

… of terrorists at war with Israel just as any other combatant is killed in any other war.

Fine, then. Don’t whine when a Palestinian legitimately blows up a bunch of Israelis at a nightclub. This is a war, after all.

, murder,…

Killing combatants is not murder. Specifically targeting innocent civilians like most Arab terrorist organizations do IS murder.

Yeah, all those Palestinian children throwing rocks at Israeli tanks were formidable opponents. Good thing Israel had all that American welfare to repel those vicious, inhuman killing machines.

I’m glad I don’t take you seriously. Do you wear a clown outfit in your day job also?

… war crimes,…

targeting innocent civilians is a war crime. So is fighting among the civilian population.

Yes, of course. It’s wrong when Palestinians do it, but it’s OK when Israelis do it because they have Purity of Arms and are a Light Unto Nations and all that. I understand.

crimes against humanity…

which Israel has never been found guilty of

Certainly not in any Israeli court, correct.

…genocide

see above, only in Abraham weird imagination

Haha. If my imagination is weird then yours is just bat shit insanely out of this world unimaginably bizarre with no language being capable of describing it.

, dozens of unfulfilled UN resolutions…

unfulfilled and unbinding

Again, the UN disagrees. The UN has authority. Your word doesn’t. I believe the UN.

If Israel doesn’t want to be in noncompliance of dozens of binding SECURITY COUNCIL resolutions then it’s free to withdraw from the UN.

Here is a list of the dozens of binding, SECURITY COUNCIL resolutions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_UN_resolutions_concerning_Israel_and_Palestine#United_Nations_Security_Council_resolutions

Or are you calling the nations of the world liars?

Their visit will never be worthwhile as long as the Assad goons continue to support Islamofascist jihadists.

Oh yeah, keep throwing around the stupid sectarian terminology of the far right-wing American and Jewish supremecists. That’ll make you popular here.

Most Americans would agree.

If by “most” you mean “a minority” then you are correct.

Keep it coming, dude. You only make yourself look more foolish every time you post a message.

You’re dismissed. You may go now.

November 16th, 2007, 12:43 am

 

Losing Hope Quickly said:

Very well said Abraham

November 16th, 2007, 2:18 am

 

Enlightened said:

Back after a little hiatus, just as well nothing serious has been going on.

Abraham, I am going to enlighten you with one piece of advice, I cant remember who said this but here goes anyway ” Never argue with a madman, people might not know the difference”. it is pointless arguing with Akrood Pal ass ( I got the pun even with my limited arabic) he lives in another world maybe even the fifth dimension, I think Superman used to call this world Bizzaro!

November 16th, 2007, 2:19 am

 

abraham said:

Losing Hope Quickly: Thanks.

Enlightened: I know. And I really should just refrain from commenting because I seriously have more important things to do. But I get so enraged reading this tripe that is so typical of zionists that I can’t help myself. And I hope in some small way I am educating at least one person with what I write. Someone has to do it.

I appreciate all the effort that is put in by all the commenters here to rebut the zionist nonsense and educate those readers who are here to learn the truth behind Israel and the 60 years occupation of Palestine.

I know in the end we will prevail, and Palestine will be free, but in the meantime it’s just frustration compounded by outrage. But I will continue to fight to make sure the perpetraitors pay for their crimes.

November 16th, 2007, 2:47 am