Al-Shara renews Syria's rejection to close al-Jihad offices: Road Map is an illusion
Syria-Palestine, Politics, 11/25/2002

In statements to be issued today, the Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara said that there is nothing called the "road map" and that the ideas proposed by Washington to settle the Palestinian question is just an attempt to fill the political vacuum in the region.

Replying to a question put by the Egyptian "al-Osbo" paper concerning the US initiative known as "road map," Al-Shara said " In our thinking, there is no map for roads. It is just another illusion introduced to the minds of certain Arab states. There is no map, just only in the mass media. In reality there is an attempt to fill the vacuum, and not more."

Al-Shara, on the other hand, renewed assertion that Syria will not be subjected to an American request to close the office of the "Islamic Jihad" in Damascus, noting that "the headquarters of the Islamic Jihad's activity is limited to media (activities) and its employees have no connection to the military activity or planning for any operation." Last Tuesday, Washington announced it will continue its pressures on Damascus to close the office of al-Jihad despite the Syrian rejection. He explained " it is possible for us to respond for that in one case which is the return of the Palestinians to their homeland, according to the UN resolution 194 issued by the UN General Assembly and calls for the return back of the refugees or compensating them."

Al-Shara said "one who lives on the Syrian territories is not able to plan for operations taking place on the Palestinian territories." Concerning Iraq, al-Shara said "what is important now is the report to be issued by the UN inspectors." He added that the inspectors "will submit their report to the UN security council and not only for the US and it should be discussed by all members, including Syria, rather than the UN security council permanent members." He added "they can not ignore, anyway the other 10 non- permanent members at the UN security council, as they did in the past. This mistake, we will not permit it to be repeated."

Previous Stories:
  Al-Shara confers with Yakhlaf   (11/8/2002)
  Syria US Congress decision on Jerusalem violates international law, supports occupation   (10/3/2002)
  Hamas denies halting political, media activity in Syria   (10/1/2002)

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