(Times-UK) Richard Beeston - The Bush Administration has offered Syria's beleaguered President Assad a "Gaddafi deal" to end his regime's isolation if Damascus agrees to a long list of painful concessions. The American proposal is very specific. Syria must cooperate fully and adhere to any demands by the UN inquiry into the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister. The Syrians would have to stop any interference in Lebanon. Washington wants Syria to halt the recruiting, funding, and training of volunteers for the Iraqi insurgency. Syria must cease its support for militant Islamic organizations such as Lebanon's Hizballah and the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In return America would establish full and friendly relations with Damascus, opening the way for foreign aid and investment and ensuring the regime's survival.
2005-10-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive