.Sarkozy pushes Syria to pressure ally Hamas
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Syria on Tuesday to exert pressure on its ally Hamas to help end the fighting in the Gaza Strip between the militant Palestinian group and Israeli forces.
But his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, did not respond to Sarkozy's call to intercede with Hamas, instead slamming the Israeli assault on the coastal strip as a "war crime" and an "aggression" that Israel must halt.
Sarkozy's visit to the Syrian capital is part of a whirlwind Mideast tour amid European diplomatic efforts to push a cease-fire proposal to stop Israel's expanding ground and air offensive on the Hamas-ruled area. More than 550 people have been killed since the assault began on Dec. 27.
The European diplomacy drive doesn't appear to have borne fruit so far.
Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference with Assad, Sarkozy urged the parties to move forward to end the fighting in Gaza and stressed there can be no military solution for the conflict, now in its 11th day.
"Pressure should be exerted on all parties involved, including Hamas, in order for the guns to fall silent and peace to return," Sarkozy said. "President Bashar Assad can play a major role in this. Syria must help us to convince Hamas to choose the voice of reason and peace."
Syria, along with Iran, is a Hamas backer. Damascus hosts the exiled political leadership of Hamas and other radical Palestinian factions but it remains unclear if and how much Assad would be willing to pressure Hamas.
In the past, Assad refused Israeli and U.S. demands to drop support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, saying "armed resistance" against Israel is justified as long as there is Israeli occupation. Only briefly in 2003, he bowed to U.S. pressure and temporarily closed Hamas offices in Damascus.
Assad said he agreed with Sarkozy on the need for a quick resolution to the "humanitarian tragedy" and for a cease-fire, Israeli withdrawal and the lifting of Gaza's siege. Assad made no mention of Hamas ceasing to attack Israel.
"What is happening is a war crime," he said of the Israeli ground and air assault on Gaza, adding that Israel will not be able to finish off Hamas.
Sarkozy stressed there can be no return to the way things were when Hamas militants fired rockets into Israel.
"Returning to the status quo as it was before is unacceptable by all sides," Sarkozy said. "Israel wants to guarantee its security and the Palestinians in Gaza want the reopening of the crossings ... We must replace the spiral of violence with a spiral of peace in Gaza."
"Firing rockets on Israel is unacceptable and must stop," Sarkozy added.
He called for sending immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza and underlined the need for opening "horizons fast to resume peace negotiations."
Sarkozy has also talked with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during this tour. He arrived later Tuesday in Lebanon and was to return to Egypt in the evening, according to Egyptian officials.
Along with Sarkozy, an EU delegation, including policy chief Javier Solana is touring the region. Solana attended the news conference in Damascus by the Syrian and French presidents, but did not speak.
During a stop in Egypt Monday, Solana said European monitors who were once on Gaza's border with Egypt would be ready to return to work at the crossing after a cease-fire in Gaza is achieved.
Also involved in the diplomatic push is international Mideast envoy Tony Blair, who on Tuesday in Jerusalem said that a key to ending the violence in Gaza is ensuring weapons smuggling to Hamas is halted.
Blair said stopping Hamas' rocket supply would be a "very significant advance in terms of Israel's security" and that it would allow Israel to halt its offensive and relieve the suffering of Gaza's civilians.
The former British prime minister would not give details of an international proposal to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza from Egypt.
MyWay
Shouldn't he try in Iran first? Better yet give Iran some guarantee that Israel will not bomb it's nuclear sites and I bet that the war could end immediately.
But his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, did not respond to Sarkozy's call to intercede with Hamas, instead slamming the Israeli assault on the coastal strip as a "war crime" and an "aggression" that Israel must halt.
Sarkozy's visit to the Syrian capital is part of a whirlwind Mideast tour amid European diplomatic efforts to push a cease-fire proposal to stop Israel's expanding ground and air offensive on the Hamas-ruled area. More than 550 people have been killed since the assault began on Dec. 27.
The European diplomacy drive doesn't appear to have borne fruit so far.
Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference with Assad, Sarkozy urged the parties to move forward to end the fighting in Gaza and stressed there can be no military solution for the conflict, now in its 11th day.
"Pressure should be exerted on all parties involved, including Hamas, in order for the guns to fall silent and peace to return," Sarkozy said. "President Bashar Assad can play a major role in this. Syria must help us to convince Hamas to choose the voice of reason and peace."
Syria, along with Iran, is a Hamas backer. Damascus hosts the exiled political leadership of Hamas and other radical Palestinian factions but it remains unclear if and how much Assad would be willing to pressure Hamas.
In the past, Assad refused Israeli and U.S. demands to drop support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, saying "armed resistance" against Israel is justified as long as there is Israeli occupation. Only briefly in 2003, he bowed to U.S. pressure and temporarily closed Hamas offices in Damascus.
Assad said he agreed with Sarkozy on the need for a quick resolution to the "humanitarian tragedy" and for a cease-fire, Israeli withdrawal and the lifting of Gaza's siege. Assad made no mention of Hamas ceasing to attack Israel.
"What is happening is a war crime," he said of the Israeli ground and air assault on Gaza, adding that Israel will not be able to finish off Hamas.
Sarkozy stressed there can be no return to the way things were when Hamas militants fired rockets into Israel.
"Returning to the status quo as it was before is unacceptable by all sides," Sarkozy said. "Israel wants to guarantee its security and the Palestinians in Gaza want the reopening of the crossings ... We must replace the spiral of violence with a spiral of peace in Gaza."
"Firing rockets on Israel is unacceptable and must stop," Sarkozy added.
He called for sending immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza and underlined the need for opening "horizons fast to resume peace negotiations."
Sarkozy has also talked with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during this tour. He arrived later Tuesday in Lebanon and was to return to Egypt in the evening, according to Egyptian officials.
Along with Sarkozy, an EU delegation, including policy chief Javier Solana is touring the region. Solana attended the news conference in Damascus by the Syrian and French presidents, but did not speak.
During a stop in Egypt Monday, Solana said European monitors who were once on Gaza's border with Egypt would be ready to return to work at the crossing after a cease-fire in Gaza is achieved.
Also involved in the diplomatic push is international Mideast envoy Tony Blair, who on Tuesday in Jerusalem said that a key to ending the violence in Gaza is ensuring weapons smuggling to Hamas is halted.
Blair said stopping Hamas' rocket supply would be a "very significant advance in terms of Israel's security" and that it would allow Israel to halt its offensive and relieve the suffering of Gaza's civilians.
The former British prime minister would not give details of an international proposal to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza from Egypt.
MyWay
Shouldn't he try in Iran first? Better yet give Iran some guarantee that Israel will not bomb it's nuclear sites and I bet that the war could end immediately.
posted by madtom at 9:18 AM
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