Syria: US must force Israeli Prime Minister on peace

Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khadam in remarks published yesterday criticized the United States for not exerting pressure on the Israeli government to repair the peace process.

"It was expected from Washington that -- given its specials ties with Egypt and Israel -- it would apply pressure and take steps to force the Israeli government to return to the right path," he told Al-Hayat paper published in London.

"The United States has not applied any pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to nudge the Israeli government towards a resumption," he added.

Asked why the US role had diminished in the Middle East, Khadam suggested that Washington had lost clout because of its failure to influence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, Al Ahrar daily said today.