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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/868851.html
Peres: Damascus Not Ready for Direct Talks
[Ha'aretz] Aluf Benn and Yoav Stern - Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Sunday played down prospects for relaunching peace negotiations with Syria, saying that the Damascus regime is not ready for direct talks. Peres said: "The problem is the Syrians are not ready and are unwilling to negotiate directly with Israel. They want to do it through the United States. The United States said: 'Gentlemen, if you want to negotiate, you have to stop being a supporter of terror and you have to stop supporting...the toppling down of the prime minister of Lebanon - stop supporting the Hizbullah.' And there is where it is stuck for the time being." Prime Minister Olmert transmitted a message through a Turkish third party and another individual in April to Syrian President Assad, in which he asked if Syria would agree to end its alliance with Iran, Hizbullah and extremist Palestinian organizations in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. A source in Olmert's bureau said Assad's lack of response showed Syria was not serious.