 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
US military team in Syria for security talks
Damascus (AFP) Aug 12, 2009 A senior American military delegation arrived in Syria on Wednesday for talks on regional security, the second such visit in nearly two months, a US diplomatic source said. Major General Michael Moeller of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is heading the delegation which also includes Frederic Hof, the deputy to US Middle East special envoy George Mitchell who was in Damascus on July 26. "The focus is on continuing dialogue concerning opportunities for cooperation on regional security matters," the US source said, without elaborating. A US military delegation held talks with Syrian officials in Damascus in June -- the first visit of its kind since 2004 -- pro-government media and the American embassy said at the time. Al-Watan newspaper said the June 13 visit came "at the request of the Americans" and focused on "ways to begin cooperation on security matters between the two parties in Iraq." However, the US embassy did not mention Iraq. "Several similar requests in previous years were rejected by Syria because of the absence of the necessary political will for such cooperation," Al-Watan said. Since coming to office in January, US President Barack Obama has moved cautiously to improve relations with Syria, mindful of its influential role in the region. Mitchell has been on two trips to Damascus in recent weeks to meet President Bashar al-Assad, most recently on July 26 when their talks focused on efforts to relaunch the Arab-Israeli peace process. Mitchell is the highest-ranking US official to visit Syria since Obama took office, and his trip was preceded by several delegations, including lawmakers. US-Syrian relations were strained under the administration of former US president George W. Bush, amid charges by Washington that Syria was interfering in Lebanon and allowing fighters to infiltrate into Iraq. On June 24 Washington announced its decision to send an ambassador back to Damascus to replace the envoy who was recalled in 2005 after the assassination in Beirut of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. The killing was widely blamed on Syria although Damascus has steadfastly denied any involvement. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links
Outside View: The whole Mideast enchiladaWashington (UPI) Aug 5, 2009 The visits last week to the Middle East by national security adviser James L. Jones and special envoy George Mitchell raise the question of the Obama administration's aims and expectations in bringing a greater measure of peace and stability to a conflict that so far has defied solution. Is the White House after any measure of success, however small, so as to declare victory? Or is the adminis ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook