Assad: Israel not genuine about peace
Syrian president says Jewish state must prove it wants peace by withdrawing from all Arab territory
Syria's president says Israel is not genuine in its professed desire for peace with its Arab neighbors.
Bashar Assad says Israel must prove it wants peace by withdrawing from all occupied Arab territory.
Assad spoke Sunday at the opening session of a meeting of Arab parliamentarians in the Syrian capital Damascus.
Syria and Israel recently held four rounds of indirect talks, mediated by Turkey. But the talks made no significant headway, and Syria said a fifth round was postponed at Israel's request.
Meeting with Arab parliamentarians (Photo: AFP)
Assad also criticized a proposed American-Iraqi security pact that would keep US troops in Iraq for three more years.
He said American troops contribute to regional instability and should withdraw from Iraq.
A recent American raid inside Syria near its border with Iraq is confirmation that the US will use Iraq as a base to attack its neighbors, he added.
Iraq has asked the US for an explicit ban in the pact on the use of Iraqi soil for attacks against the country's neighbors. The US has replied to the request, but the details are not known.
US officials say the Syria raid targeted a top al-Qaeda in Iraq figure. Damascus says it killed eight civilians.
