Syrian, American differences over the position of the Hizbullah party
Syria-USA, Politics, 11/13/2001

An official US source has stated that Syria and the USA differed on Sunday concerning the position of the Hizbullah Party as Syria stressed the need of not classifying this party as a terrorist organization.

News reports quoted a high ranking official at the US state department as saying that the US secretary of State Colin Powell informed his Syrian counterpart Farouk al-Shara that despite of this difference, the US wants Syria to invest its influence on the Hizbullah to alleviate the conflict with Israel.

The US official explained that numerous discussions were held concerning what is terrorism and freedom fighters.

He indicated that Powell was very clear in saying " we are looking forward to see the Syrians move especially with the Hizbullah Party." The two ministers also discussed the attempts made by the US to change the UN sanctions system on Iraq.

The American official added that the two ministers also discussed " our desire to move forward with a new draft resolution on Iraq," despite the fact that the two ministers did not get into other details.

Meantime, the spokesman for the US state department Richard Boucher said that Powell and al-Shara also discussed the Syrian- Israeli peace track which collapsed by the beginning of 2000.

Boucher said: " there is nothing new to declare," but the US secretary of state told the Syrian foreign minister " we are ready to move forward on this track ( the Syrian track) in due time."

Powell told journalists after meeting with al-Shara in a hotel in New York on the sideline of the annual meetings of the UN General Assembly that the meeting was a frank exchange to view points. He added that the Syrians basically argued to make a distinction between the Hizbullah party and terrorism.

Powell continued on the need to halt violence and that "we do need the help of the Syrians to halt violence."

Previous Stories:
  Syria's co-operation with the US in its war against terrorism   (10/29/2001)
  Meeting between Syrian, Iranian, American officials denied   (10/23/2001)
  On Powell's message to al-Shara   (10/20/2001)

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