Responding to reports that Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had quashed a detailed appeal by Syrian President Bashar Assad to resume peace talks immediately and without preconditions, aides to the Israeli leader confirmed Monday that there had been an initiative from Damascus prior to the Iraq war, but that on inspection "there was great doubt cast on its seriousness and on the nature of Syria's motives," Israel Radio said.
On Monday, the Tel Aviv-based Ma'ariv newspaper reported on its headline titled - "This Is How The Secret Negotiations With Syria Were Torpedoed" - that contacts over Assad's proposal were held in Jordan, between the Syrian president's brother Maher, and Israel's former foreign ministry director-general Eytan Ben-Tzur. The report said that the contacts were held withe the approval of the Jordanian authorities.
According to the report, Maher told Ben-Tzur he was speaking on behalf of his brother. Ben-Tzur is currently a private businessman.
Unnamed Israeli officials quoted by Ma'ariv described the contacts as having been "serious," with proposals raised regarding mutual steps toward resumption of negotiations. But Sharon was said to have believed that the initiative was aimed mainly at deflecting U.S. pressure over Assad's support of Saddam Hussein surrounding the war.
Sharon said in a recent interview that he gives preference to negotiations with the Palestinians over possible talks with Syria.
Maher Assad, 35, the youngest of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad's four sons, has come into the spotlight since the ascension of his older brother Bashar to the helm of Syria. He was recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed to the ruling Ba'ath party's Central Committee. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
