US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday wrapped up a two-day
official visit to Syria which she described as "very productive"
while the White House criticized it for undermining the US efforts
to isolate the Arab country.
Pelosi, a staunch critic of US President George W. Bush's Iraq
policy, held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, his
deputy Farouk al-Shara and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem
earlier in the day.
She told reporters after the meetings that the talks have so far
been "very productive" and she was "determined that the road to
Damascus would be the path to peace."
The leading US Democrat said she had conveyed an Israeli message
for peace talks with Syria and received assurances from Assad that
Syria was ready to engage in peace talks with Israel.
"We expressed our interest in using our good offices in
promoting peace between Israel and Syria," said Pelosi, the
highest-level US politician to visit Damascus in years.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem confirmed at a press
conference later that Syria was ready to resume peace talks with
arch-foe Israel according to an Arab peace initiative that was
reactivated at the 19th Arab summit in Saudi capital Riyadh last
week.
According to the official SANA news agency, Assad highlighted
the importance of "direct dialogue" with the United States in his
meeting with Pelosi. He also told the delegation that Syria has
adopted the Arab peace initiative and Syria's commitment to peace
was a "strategic option."
The initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia and adopted in Beirut
Arab summit in 2002, calls for a comprehensive peace deal between
Israel and the Arab states.
The two sides also discussed the crises in neighboring Iraq and
Lebanon, SANA reported.
Assad said a comprehensive national reconciliation and a
timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq were key
to stability in the war-torn country while accordance among the
Lebanese is the basic factor to tackle the main issues in Lebanon,
the report added.
Pelosi told reporters that the US delegation raised its concerns
about Syria's connection to the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah
guerrillas and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
and the infiltrations into Iraq.
She also voiced "concerns about the soldiers kidnapped by
Hezbollah and Hamas", saying that "these are not only important
issues in the fight against terrorism but also important priorities
for peace in the Middle East."
Syria supports Hezbollah and Hamas, groups Washington labels as
terror organizations. Damascus insists that Hamas is a legitimate
resistant movement and Hezbollah a regular Lebanese political
party.
Meanwhile, Pelosi asserted that her trip was to follow up on the
recommendations of the bipartisan US Iraq Study Group which had
urged the Bush administration to engage in talks with Syria and
Iran over Iraq.
The White House, which has largely ignored the suggestion, was
annoyed at Pelosi's visit to Damascus, rebuking it as a "really bad
idea."
On the contrary, Pelosi's trip was hailed by Syrian official
media as opening a door for necessary dialogue between the two
countries to discuss regional issues and "beneficial to
everyone."
But the Syrian media also stayed prudent on the "sudden US
openness" against the backdrop of a long-strained relation.
The government Tishrin daily noted that no matter how
important the trip was, it would not be able to erase all the
obstacles impeding the restoration of the Syrian-American ties, or
remove the dark clouds overshadowing these ties and preventing
mutual understanding and dialogue.
Syrian ambassador to Washington Imad Moustapha also said in an
interview with the official al-Baath paper that Syria was
"wary of the sudden US openness" and would respond cautiously.
Syria would not hurriedly offer concessions which it refused to
offer under much greater pressure from the US in the past, he
observed, adding that Syria would take a step forward every time
the Americans took one.
US-Syrian ties have been tense since 2003 as Syria strongly
objected the US invasion of Iraq and blamed the US-led occupation
for the turbulences in the country ever after.
The US accused Damascus of doing little to stop militants and
weapons from crossing into Iraq and destabilize situation
there.
Washington withdrew its ambassador to Damascus for Syria's
alleged role in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri in February 2005 and had since refused high-level contacts
with Damascus.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2007)
