TruthNews

Blair And Assad Put On A Friendly Face

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Dec. 17, 2002

Despite inherent differences on Iraq and the British-US campaign against terror, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Syrian President Bashar Assad displayed a friendly reception as the Syrian leader visited England yesterday.

Assad, the first Syrian president to make an official visit to Britain, said he would not restrain Palestinian extremist groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas which maintain offices in Damascus and openly support the Hizb’Allah in Lebanon. Syria is on the US State Department list of states that sponsor terrorism.

"We don't have in Syria what is called organizations promoting terrorism," Assad said. "We have press offices ... These offices express the opinions of Palestinians inside Palestine and outside Palestine."

Blair became the first British leader to visit Syria when he met with Assad last year in Damascus. That meeting revealed wide differences between the two governments, with Assad criticizing the US-led campaign in Afghanistan and saying that for Palestinians "resisting occupation is an international right."

"There are obviously going to be differences between us," Blair said. "I do however believe it's important to engage with Syria because Syria is going to be an important part of building a peaceful and stable future in the Middle East."

Syria voted in the United Nations for aggressive inspections of Iraq's weapons program, but Assad has spoken against military action against President Saddam Hussein.

During Assad’s visit, Blair also invited Palestinian leaders to a meeting in London.

"(We) will discuss progress on reform and look at how the international community can help," he said.

Last month, officials said Blair was hoping to convene a conference with both Palestinian and Israeli leaders. "In the short term, progress on the Israeli side will be limited by the general election campaign," Blair said.

After a meeting in Ramallah between Yasser Arafat and British Consul-General Geoffrey Adams, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Adams invited a "Palestinian delegation to deal with issues of the political process and the peace process and the reform, which President Arafat accepted."