TOKYO - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his country could hold direct peace talks with Israel if the United States acted as an arbitrator, according to an interview published on Wednesday.Assad also told Japan's Asahi Shimbun that he welcomed US President Barack Obama's new administration and wants to engage in dialogue for regional peace, but he also insisted on the return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
| And in return, what? |
| Let Slow Joe do it. He's the foreign policy expert in the Bambi administration. That used to be a joke but now is approaching reality ... |
Assad cautioned that possible progress of such talks would "depend on the next Israeli administration," the Asahi said.
US-Syrian ties were especially tense under former president George W. Bush, who
Washington has not yet taken a decision about returning its ambassador to Syria, a senior US envoy said this month after visiting Damascus to mend ties.
Assad harshly criticised the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and hit out at Bush for putting pressure on Syria, the Asahi said. But he also stressed his willingness to help work toward regional peace. "Changes do not happen overnight," Assad was quoted saying. "We must first start dialogue to clarify the shared interest, which is to achieve peace.
| It's amazing he can say stuff like that and keep his lips on. His only interest is in keeping power, and peace with Israel is the last thing he wants. |
| Which is, if you think about it, the first charge in his oath ... |
To achieve regional peace, the Syrian president emphasised the importance of including major parties in the peace process, adding that he would work to bring Islamist militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah to the table.
| Whatever his Iranian masters tell him to do ... |