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Photo: Reuters
Not inivited: Assad
Photo: Reuters
Photo: AP
Will stay for talks: Rice
Photo: AP

Rice to boycott Assad

U.S. Secretary of State to conduct meetings in New York next week as leaders gather for special U.N. General Assembly session, but Syrian president not invited; on the agenda: pressure on Syria to stop funding Palestinian terrorists

Syrian President Bashar Assad will not receive an invitation for a meeting of European and Middle Eastern leaders hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next week in New York.

 

The meeting coincides with the special session of the U.N. General Assembly, which attracts scores of world leaders.

 

Chance for diplomacy

 

President Bush plans to speak to the assembly next Wednesday and Rice will spend a week or more in New York, taking advantage of the leaders' presence to conduct some diplomacy.

 

One of the top items on her list is stepping up pressure on Syria to steer clear of Lebanon in its drive for political independence and to crack down on Palestinian militants with headquarters in Damascus.

 

Rice will try to rally support when she hosts a meeting of European and Middle Eastern leaders. But the target of her campaign will not be there.

 

"I don't think there are any plans for the secretary to meet with President Assad," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday.

 

Assad was believed to be planning to attend the General Assembly session. It was not clear whether he would go ahead with the plan if he is to be shunned by the Bush administration.

 

U.S. pressure all around

 

The U.S. pressure campaign is being pursued in foreign capitals by American diplomats and ranges beyond Lebanon's rights.

 

Building on support for U.S. policy on Lebanon, the United States wants to move further and pressure Syria to clamp down on groups the State Department brands as terrorists and also to end Syrian help for insurgents in Iraq.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.08.05, 10:03
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