Bashar Assad. Signaling for peace?
Photo: AP
Bush and Olmert in Washington
Photo: AFP
UN renews observer force on Golan Heights
Security Council votes unanimously for six-month renewal of UN observer force on the Golan Heights that serves as a buffer between Syrian and Israeli armies
The UN Security Council on Wednesday voted unanimously for a six-month renewal of the UN observer force on the Golan Heights that serves as a buffer between Syrian and Israeli armies.
Peace Offer
Yedioth Ahronoth report says prime minister relayed secret message to Damascus saying Israel would return Golan to Syria in exchange for comprehensive peace, severing of all ties to Iran, regional terror groups. Right-wing MKs: Olmert trying to save his own skin, has no legitimacy to give up disputed region
But the council, as is its usual practice, said the situation was tense "unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the Middle East problem can be reached."
Such a statement has been issued for renewal of the mission since 1976, without any substantive discussion of issues on the Golan Heights. The mandate for the peacekeepers was extended until December 31.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. The UN Disengagement Observer Force or UNDOF was established in May 1974 to supervise a cease-fire and disengagement agreement after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. It has some 1,190 personnel, most of them troops.
An Austrian general heads the force composed of soldiers from Canada, India, Japan, Nepal, Poland and Slovakia.
Signaling for peace talks
After the Second Lebanon War, President Bashar Assad signaled Syria's readiness to resume the peace negotiations with Israel which were interrupted in 2000. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the time rejected the offer because of Syria's support of "terrorist groups."In Washington on Tuesday, Olmert played down prospects for peace talks with Syria, citing what he said was a precondition by Damascus for US mediation.
"I don't think that if someone wants to speak directly, he needs the involvement of America in order to allow these negotiations to take place," Olmert told reporters at the start of a meeting with US President George W. Bush.
Asked about a possible US mediation role, Bush replied: "If the prime minister wants to negotiate with Syria he doesn't need me to mediate. ... It's up the prime minister."
Washington, citing Syria's support for militants in Iran and Lebanon and its ties to Iran, has opposed a resumption of Israeli-Syrian talks. Bush's remarks did not seem to indicate any change in position.
Olmert has spoken of a desire to hold talks with Syria without preconditions but said Israel wanted to know whether Damascus would be prepared to cut ties with Iran, Lebanon's Hizbullah and Palestinian terror groups.
