Syrian defense minister calls for preserving Arab rights

At the directive of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, the Syrian Army 's commander in chief, Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass on Thursday visited one of the Syrian fighting formations.

Tlass and high-ranking army officers viewed a military parade carried out by members of the formation.

In a speech, Tlass spoke about political conditions in the region in light of new developments and the Middle East peace process following the signing of the Wye River agreement between the Palestinian and Israeli governments.

He added that Israeli aggressive practices against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories have been escalated in confiscating Palestinian territories, noting that all these are the result of the concessions "given by the Palestinian authorities to the government of Netanyahu."

Tlass stressed that the Arab nation has to unify its ranks and stand firm against all "forms of concessions and normalization with the Israeli enemy so as to prevent it from fulfilling its evil ambitions in the region."

He reiterated that Syria seeks a peace which is "built on the restoration of rights and usurped lands."