Kerry says Syrian president leaning toward West

[ProSense]

Kerry says Syrian president leaning toward West

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer Barry Schweid, Ap Diplomatic Writer – 1 hr 21 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kerry said Wednesday that Syrian President Basher Assad told him last month in Damascus that Syria is prepared to resume peace negotiations with Israel and embrace a 2000 Arab initiative offering peace in exchange for territory captured from the Arabs in the 1967 Mideast war.

"Syria would like direct American participation in these peace talks," said Kerry, D-Mass., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Reversing the Bush administration's dismissive stance on Syria, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Tuesday during a visit to Israel she would send two senior officials to Damascus this week.

Endorsing President Barack Obama's decision to dispatch the U.S. envoys to Damascus, Kerry said Assad is looking past Iran to improved relations with Arab countries and with the West.

Kerry said that Assad "told me recently in Damascus he is prepared to resume peace negotiations with Israel and embrace the Arab Peace Initiative once again."

Kerry's February trip to Damascus appears to have been a precursor to Clinton's move, but Kerry had not previously revealed the details of his talks with Assad, saying only the Syrian leader offered prospects of "real cooperation."

Kerry warned that Syria will "still try to play both sides of the fence for as long as it can." But Kerry said he believes Assad understands its "long-term interests lie not with Iran but with its Sunni neighbors and the West."

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[karynnj]

1. This really sounds more promising than anything I've heard in the past

The coordination with Clinton is very nice.

[ProSense]

2. Kerry's speech on C-Span 2

Speech

Middle East Peace Process

Brookings Institution
Saban Center for Middle East Policy

Washington, DC

Event Date: 2009-03-04

Airing Time:
03:12:36 AM - 04:14:43 AM

Length: 01:02:07

Summary: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry talked about the challenges and opportunities facing the Obama administration in the Middle East. He focused on the way forward in the Middle East peace process including discussion of the recent Israeli elections, the conflict in Gaza, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, troop withdrawals in Iraq, U.S.-Syria relations, and Islamic extremism. Senator Kerry recently returned from the Middle East, where he traveled to Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Martin Indyk provided introductory remarks. After the program, Senator Kerry took audience members’ questions.

[karynnj]

3. Here's a link to video if you don't get CSPAN2 or

you see this to late.

http://www.brookings.edu/events/2009/0304_leadership.aspx

[karynnj]

4. That had just excepts - here is the entire thing archived on Cspan

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=284420-1