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U.S., Israel discuss Syria regime change – Report
By Al Jazeera
10/04/05 "Al
Jazeera" -- -- Senior American officials discussed with Israeli counterparts the prospects of a regime change in Syria and possible successors to President Bashar al-Assad, an Israeli newspaper reported
Government officials quoted by the Haaretz daily said the U.S. officials expressed interest in Israel’s assessment of possible successors to Assad, asking them who they thought could replace him and maintain regional stability.
U.S. officials said the Israelis indicated that they prefer to see a weakened Assad in power, believing that the current Syrian regime would be greatly affected by the findings of a UN probe into the Feb. 14 assassination of former premier Rafiq Hariri.
Hariri’s killing plunged Lebanon into its worst political crisis since the 1975-1990 war and led to the Syrian withdrawal from the country.
The Lebanese opposition accused Syrian and some Lebanese security officials of being involved in the attack, a charge strongly rejected by both countries.
According to the Haaretz report, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon claimed that Damasucs is still trying to influence Lebanon despite the April withdrawal.
"The Syrians have not yet despaired of controlling Lebanon; they are doing it via (the anti-Israeli Shiite militia) Hezbollah, along with the Iranians," Sharon said.
A source close to Sharon confirmed that U.S. and Israeli officials recently held talks about Syria, AFP reported.
“The issue of Syria is regularly discussed with the Americans,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“It is one of the priorities of our shared agenda as Syria is implicated in giving aid to Palestinian terrorists as well as Islamic terrorists who are operating against the Americans in Iraq.” he alleged.
Dramatic change
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz that the U.S. pressure on Syria may lead to a dramatic change in Damascus.
"I won't be surprised if Syria gets a red-card (by the U.S)," Mofaz told Israel Radio on Tuesday.
"(The U.S) will take actions against Syria, beginning with economic sanctions and moving on to others, that will make it clear to the Syrians that their policies do not comply with U.N decisions, the U.S. new world order or the prohibition of sovereign state's to support terrorism."
The United States accuses Damascus of aiding the resistance in neighboring Iraq. The Syrian government denies the allegations, insisting that it is doing its best to secure its border with Iraq.
Last month the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded Syria's co-operation with the UN investigation.
Syria insists that it is committed to cooperation with the United Nations. Two weeks ago, the Syrian government allowed the UN team probing Hariri's killing to visit Damascus and interrogate senior Syrian officials to prove its willingness to cooperate with the inquiry.
Copyright 2005 Al Jazeera Publishing Limited
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