Saturday, August 2, 2008

Syria Closes In On Peace Deal With Israel

From Times Online:

The Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert is racing to conclude a peace deal with Syria before he steps down from office in a few months.

Syria is close to agreeing to “normal relations” in the words of its president, Bashar al-Assad, and to disengage from Iran in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights. The outline of a deal was reached in talks brokered by the Turks, according to reports in Israel.

“We [Syria and Israel] desire to recognise each other and end the state of war. Let us make peace . . . let us end, once and for all, the state of war,” Imad Mustafa, Syria’s ambassador to the United States, told a Washington audience last week.

Read more ....

More News On A Syria/Israel Peace Agreement

Report: Israel-Syria pact more likely -- UPI
Israel PM Urges More Talks With Syria Without Preconditions -- Nasdaq
Israel-Syria peace within reach as Damascus could cut ties with Iran -- Turk.us

My Comment: They have a long way to go before any agreement is ironed out. I am also very skeptical that a common understanding will come out from these discussions. But both sides are talking right now .... something that I would never have predicted two months ago.

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