No partner for peace

Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad says he wants to negotiate with Israel -- but doesn't have anyone to talk to:

"Achieving peace requires an Israeli partner and commitment to international law, United Nations resolutions and the land for peace principles," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said after meeting his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias.

My guess: This is a response to Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman's insistence that he won't talk about returning the Golan Heights. There are no Israel-Syria talks if the Golan isn't on the table.

No Comments

Post a Comment

Peres on returning the Golan

Israeli president Shimon Peres hints at a future deal on the Golan Heights if Syria renounces its support for Hizballah.

Damascus diplomacy

Al-Assad said he's willing to restart diplomatic talks with Israel, via Turkish intermediaries, as long as Israel is willing to discuss the return of the Golan Heights. Which, of course, it isn't.

Baradar's arrest: Cutting off a conduit to the Taliban

Latest Iraqi election results: Karbala province

ADL, AIPAC continue march towards irrelevance

Al-Akhbar: Our weekly brief

Peace Processing

Fallout from Biden's visit: West Bank sealed off; proximity talks appear stalled

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas greets U.S. vice president Joe Biden in Ramallah. (Photo: AFP)
As Joe Biden wraps up his Middle East tour, Palestinian officials say they're unwilling to move forward with proximity talks unless Israel cancels its new construction in East Jerusalem; and the Israeli Defense Forces have sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, reportedly for security concerns. Several people were injured and arrested in fighting at the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Peace Processing

Biden arrives in Israel amid serious Palestinian doubts

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife arrived in Israel on Monday.
As Joe Biden lands in Israel, the Israeli government -- obviously keen to demonstrate that it's serious about restarting peace talks -- announced Monday that it will violate its West Bank settlement freeze and build 112 new homes in Beitar Illit, a settlement west of Bethlehem.

Iraqi Elections

Polls close in Iraq; media reports suggest strong turnout, relative calm

An Iraqi man on a bicycle displays his ink-stained finger after voting in Baghdad on March 7, 2010. (Photo: AP)
A handful of insurgent attacks around the country killed two dozen people, but Iraqi security forces seemed generally confident; the vehicle ban in Baghdad, scheduled to last all day, was lifted before noon. Anecdotal reports suggest a strong turnout across the country.