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Syrian President Bashar Assad.
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Last update - 17:52 21/11/2009
Syria: No peace talks without Israeli promise to return Golan
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Syria peace talks 

Syrian President Bashar Assad said he would begin peace talks with Israel only after Netanyahu "guarantees the full return of land and rights," the Syrian News Service reported.

Assad met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris where they spoke about the future of peace talks between Israel and Syria, reported the Syrian News Service.

Sarkozy told Assad that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to start talks with Syria with no preconditions.
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Assad said that talks without preconditions were "unacceptable," and that he expected the full return of land and rights before he would begin any peace talks.

"This is where talks begin from. The result of the talks is peace; if you want peace then the result will be peace," Assad said.

Assad's visit to Paris last week came two days after that of Netanyahu, who said he was ready to meet the Syrian president anywhere, at any moment, but without pre-established conditions, to relaunch talks over the Israeli-Syrian dimension of the broader Mideast peace process.

During the meeting with Sarkozy, Assad questioned Israel's will to restart peace talks and suggested that a summit meeting between the two enemy states would be useless.

Assad welcomed renewed indirect discussions mediated by Turkey, but appeared to dismiss suggestions of a direct meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"If Mr. Netanyahu is serious, he can send his teams of experts, we will send our teams of experts to Turkey. They can then talk, if they are really interested in peace," Assad said.

Turkey has mediated talks between Israel and Syria, but they broke off after Israel's winter offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

Assad reiterated his complaint that Israel is not fully committed to talks mediated by Turkey. He said the mediator and Syria are ready but what is missing is an Israeli partner ready to move forward and "ready to reach a result."

In addition to Middle East peace, Sarkozy and Assad discussed Iran's contested nuclear program. Damascus is a friend of Tehran. Strengthening bilateral ties between Syria and France also was discussed on Assad's latest visit.

Assad welcomed French help in the eventual Israeli-Syrian discussions, but only as a supporting player to Turkey, by encouraging Israel to return to talks with Syria.

Assad to Obama: Draw up Israel-Syria peace plan

In an interview with French daily Le Figaro published last Friday, Assad said U.S. President Barack Obama should come up with a firm plan of action to renew peace talks between Syria and Israel.

He said the dialogue initiated by Obama's administration had not gone "beyond an exchange of views."

"There has not been an executive plan," he said.

While Netanyahu said during his meeting in Paris he was ready to start peace negotiations with Assad immediately, the Syrian leader accused Israel of not truly wanting to relaunch talks.

"But the weak point is the American sponsor [of peace talks]," Assad told Le Figaro.

"What Obama said about peace was a good thing. We agree with him on the principles, but as I said, what's the action plan? The sponsor has to draw up an action plan," he said.

Assad said that while relations with the United States had improved, issues such as continued U.S. sanctions against Syria were hindering any joint work towards peace in the Middle East.

Asked about Israel's complaint to the United Nations earlier this month about what it said was an Iranian attempt to supply weapons by ship to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Assad accused Israel of lying.

"What proof is there that the arms were for Hezbollah or someone else?" he said, adding that a sovereign state had the right to buy arms. He said Israel's seizure of the ship amounted to "an act of piracy in the middle of the Mediterranean."

Peace talks between Israel and Syria faltered in 2000 over the demand by Damascus for a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed.

Turkey later mediated a limited series of contacts between the two countries, which failed to result in any formal negotiations. Israel accuses Syria of helping to arm Hezbollah and Hamas, its militant enemies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
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  1.   It`s pretty simple, really 09:43  |  Colin Wright 21/11/09
  2.   Nobody Seems to Believe 09:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/11/09
  3.   They don`t want Peace for Peace, Then never mind No Peace 10:00  |  Gil 21/11/09
  4.   They don`t want Peace for Peace, Then never mind No Peace 10:01  |  Gil 21/11/09
  5.   Assad Jr. 10:21  |  Linichka 21/11/09
  6.   well 10:31  |  Simon Mohammed 21/11/09
  7.   Oh, then thats easy, NO PEACE for Syria. 11:07  |  Josiah J. Ben David 21/11/09
  8.   One precondition that can not be denied 11:15  |  un2here 21/11/09
  9.   Total peace in the region must be achieved not just a part.... 11:40  |  S 21/11/09
  10.   Talking Peace 11:55  |  Moshe 21/11/09
  11.   That`s a precondition to peace talks 12:00  |  Yonatan 21/11/09
  12.   Golan 12:01  |  DOV KORET 21/11/09
  13.   Golan can be liberated as did south Lebanon and Gaza 12:04  |  sami abu ismail 21/11/09
  14.   Return Golan / 13:20  |  mike 21/11/09
  15.   the Syrians were the aggressors, so this is unreasonable 13:23  |  jo 21/11/09
  16.   The Golan is Syrian land 13:23  |  r cummings 21/11/09
  17.   Well, as long as we`re coming up with preconditions 13:29  |  Israeli 21/11/09
  18.   Syria Crap 14:05  |  Brod 21/11/09
  19.   Assad 14:07  |  Pedro 21/11/09
  20.   ok, let it be as it is 14:17  |  shoot 21/11/09
  21.   Assad 14:19  |  Moshe 21/11/09
  22.   Land for Peace 14:29  |  Jochai Rubinstein 21/11/09
  23.   Didn`t Assad say - NO PRECONDITIONS to talks??? 14:37  |  D 21/11/09
  24.   Good Faith 14:46  |  Yariv 21/11/09
  25.   Giving back the Golan is Suicide for Israel 15:32  |  Frank 21/11/09
  26.   point missed 15:48  |  wayne 21/11/09
  27.   Half of Golan for a full peace seems to be the offer 16:20  |  Bloodyscot 21/11/09
  28.   Spoils of War -- No Longer Apply: Return Golan 16:38  |  Stephen 21/11/09
  29.   Ever been to the Golan? 16:51  |  TT 21/11/09
  30.   A Sad Assad 17:18  |  Ron 21/11/09
  31.   No you don`t Gil 17:26  |  John 21/11/09
  32.   Israel started the war in 1967 so stop the hasbara 17:29  |  John 21/11/09
  33.   To Un2here 17:33  |  David LG 21/11/09
  34.   un2here 17:38  |  rich 21/11/09
  35.   How about Syria first makes clear it will cut off all relations.. 17:53  |  McQueen 21/11/09
  36.   Assad sounds like he wants a protection racket not peace 18:02  |  zionist forever 21/11/09
  37.   No peace talks without... 18:07  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/11/09
  38.   assad the crazy mixed up kid the golan 18:14  |  vhardman 21/11/09
  39.   "Israel started the war in 1967" 18:41  |  Ol` Case 21/11/09
  40.   The Spoils of War Argument 18:45  |  Brad 21/11/09
  41.   #19 John`s ignoracne 18:46  |  Yonatan 21/11/09
  42.   Syria. Gimme Back ! Gimmeee Back ! 18:51  |  The Teacher/Instruct 21/11/09
  43.   TO NO 1. 19:49  |  DANNY 21/11/09
  44.   un2here get a clue or read history 19:49  |  Ki`emli 21/11/09
  45.   Oh really John? 19:52  |  Ki`emli 21/11/09
  46.   TO NO 9 PEDRO. 19:53  |  DANNY 21/11/09
  47.   Gil #1 20:08  |  anne 21/11/09
  48.   Syria Simply Doesn`t Believe 20:08  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/11/09
  49.   Loss of Territory in war 20:31  |  John Q. Public 21/11/09
  50.   20 ignorance is bliss 20:32  |  DOV KORET 21/11/09
  51.   Assad is right why so many re negociations 20:41  |  Al Moez Ibn Khatib 21/11/09
  52.   #12.JR. the 1967 war was a PREEMPTIVE war 20:44  |  Ali Butaka 21/11/09
  53.   WELL SAID YONATON!!!!!!!! 20:52  |  Frank 21/11/09
  54.   For future generations 21:08  |  Bilbi 21/11/09
  55.   Syrian Peace=No Peace 21:20  |  sfg 21/11/09
  56.   To Al Moez Ibn Khatib 21:49  |  David LG 21/11/09
  57.   A thief trying to negotiate retention of his spoils 22:21  |  Labhras 21/11/09
  58.   #24 Yonatan & # 17 TT 22:22  |  Stephen 21/11/09
  59.   so pathetic and certainly absurd! 22:41  |  syrian opinion 21/11/09
  60.   #52 TWO ERRORS syria was attacking israel from 1948 onwards 22:46  |  vhardman 21/11/09
  61.   Return of the Golan 22:56  |  Edward 21/11/09
  62.   Wake up, this is negociation 23:09  |  Blazik Miroslav 21/11/09
  63.   IS Syria saying peace is NOT part of Golan return?? 00:17  |  PETER SM 22/11/09
  64.   IS Syria saying peace is NOT part of Golan return?? 00:17  |  PETER SM 22/11/09
  65.   Arab double talk 00:29  |  No one is fooled. 22/11/09
  66.   Non-peace is fine ... 01:28  |  Jasper 22/11/09
  67.   Golan 01:59  |  joel Gafni 22/11/09
  68.   Israel rather than Syria 02:11  |  Roger abdelmassih 22/11/09
  69.   Where is Israel`s counter offer? 02:13  |  Basil 22/11/09
  70.   Butaka: SYria STARTED shooting, both on June 5, 67 and Oct 6, 73 02:22  |  Eve 22/11/09
  71.   Cummings, your plan was suggested by Clinton and Barak in 2000, 02:28  |  Rob 22/11/09
  72.   Basil, Promise me all I want before we start talking? 02:49  |  Eve 22/11/09
  73.   Wayne#26 02:57  |  Yariv 22/11/09
  74.   Lahbras, by your logic, Poland should return Stetin to Germany 02:59  |  Rob 22/11/09
  75.   A counteroffer 04:19  |  Ariel 22/11/09
  76.   As always Peace in exchange for Suicide 05:34  |  UsedToPostHere 22/11/09
  77.   Peace of mind 08:22  |  Iceberg 22/11/09
  78.   El Burro Assad - give him Gaza to be closer to Egypt ! 08:28  |  santiago 22/11/09
  79.   Alexander Yanai, of the Hasmonean dynasty, ruled over the Golan 08:34  |  Katzrin museum 22/11/09
  80.   Syria lost the Golan FOREVER: Assad Sr. attacked on Yom Kippur 73 08:47  |  toddler Assad Jr. 22/11/09
  81.   Yonatan #24 you are repeating old fairy tales 12:40  |  Roo 22/11/09
  82.   Yonatan #41 you are repeating old fairy tales 12:42  |  Roo 22/11/09
  83.   #39 You have got to be kidding, Ol` Case 04:14  |  Johnboy 23/11/09
  84.   #41 Yonatan. 04:21  |  Johnboy 23/11/09
  85.   #70 Eve says.... 04:28  |  Johnboy 23/11/09
  86.   #45 Yeah, really, Ki`emli 04:35  |  Johnboy 23/11/09
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