Saturday, April 25, 2009

'Lieberman: Syria not a peace partner as it supports terrorism'


Apr. 25, 2009
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Syria is supporting Palestinian and Lebanese terror groups and therefore, is not a partner for peace, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in an interview published on Saturday. "We need to look at the reality. Until today, Syria is hosting the headquarters of terror organizations such as Hamas and the (Islamic) Jihad," AFP cited Lieberman as telling the German Zeitung newspaper.

"Syria supports Hizbullah and its arms trafficking into southern Lebanon. Syria supports Iran's nuclear program. That is why I cannot see in Syria a real partner for any type of agreement," Lieberman was quoted as saying.

The Jerusalem Post could not independently confirm the report.

Indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel were suspended following the launch of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month, Lieberman said he opposed any withdrawal from the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace deal with Syria.

"I am very much in favor of peace with Syria, but only on one basis - peace in return for peace," Lieberman told Channel 2, adding that there would be "no withdrawals from the Golan during my time and hopefully not at any time."

The next day, Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country would regain the Golan Heights by "peace or war," and explained that his country supports Hizbullah.

"The day must come and we will liberate (the Golan Heights) by peace or war," he told the Qatari A-Sharq newspaper. "When a citizen loses hope, he walks toward 'the resistance' in one way or another."

"Hizbullah has an issue with the Israeli enemy and we have the same issue, and as a result we support it," Assad said regarding the Lebanese terror group. Because it is a national party that has a religious agenda that includes the Lebanese homeland, "it is natural that we would have good relations with it."

Supporting the right to resist 'Israeli occupation,' Assad said that "the enemy does not want peace and so what is the alternative or the parallel path to the peace process? It is the resistance."

Brenda Gazzar and AP contributed to this report
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