Blair to Sharon: Syria takes part in the operations against us in Iraq

The British prime minister Tony Blair said before his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon in occupied Jerusalem yesterday that Syria is working against the occupation forces in Iraq "and directly takes part in the operations against us."

The political correspondent for the second channel in the Israeli TV said that Blair has not limited his interest in his visit to Israel to the Palestinian side, but also tackled Syria. The correspondent said that Blair's participation in the controversy taking place in Israel on how to deal with the Syrian call to resume peace talks and that he had expressed his concern over the "Syrian activity" in Iraq.

Blair said in his talks with Sharon that the "Syrians are working for obstructing our works and that of the Americans in Iraq, and directly takes part in the operations against us." The Israeli correspondent indicated that this means that British position regarding the Syrian- Israeli negotiations implies that this is an "Israeli internal issue."