Ha'aretz
Wed., September 08, 2004 Elul 22, 5764
Shalom: No talks until Syria negates terror
By Gideon Alon

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/474998.html

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said yesterday that "if
Syria changes its policy and stops providing shelter
for terror organizations and for the transfer of
weapons and ammunition from Iran to Hezbollah, we can
renew negotiations with it."

Shalom was responding to Syrian President Bashar
Assad's statement on his willingness to negotiate with
Israel, in his appearance before the Knesset Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee.

He said that Syria is under heavy international
pressure to remove its forces from Lebanon and cease
sheltering terror and the Hamas headquarters in
Damascus.

United Nations special envoy Terje-Roed Larsen said
yesterday that Syria was "genuinely" interested in
resuming peace talks with Israel, and urged both sides
to explore ways to return to the negotiating table.

Speaking on a variety of topics, Shalom also said that
an effort is currently under way to recruit figures
active in the American Jewish community to help
financially support Israeli public relations
operations overseas. He remonstrated against the
Foreign Ministry's limited information budget for
overseas, complaining that the information budget
amounts to just $8 million, whereas an Israeli factory
like Strauss allocates around $20 million annually for
advertisement.

Shalom devoted much of his time before the committee
to Iran. He said that all reports indicate that Iran
is continuing its efforts to manufacture nuclear
weapons, and it is felt that Iran will try to take
advantage of the U.S. election campaign - when the
administration's gaze is focused on solving internal
problems - to continue full steam ahead in its nuclear
endeavor. According to Shalom, Germany, Britain, and
France are working to block Iran's nuclear activity.

On the matter of the Palestinian Authority, Shalom
said that the Ahmed Qureia government is characterized
by complete inaction save for the demand that the
conflict with Israel be internationalized.

Shalom repeated his claim that Yasser Arafat be
expelled, and directed criticism at EU officials who
try to seek avenues of approach to Arafat.

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