Syria refuses to participate in Middle East peace conference

Syrian President Bashar Assad announced on Thursday that his country would not participate in the Middle East peace conference in Annapolis next month, Army Radio reported. Speaking to Tunisian media, Assad said the conference had no chance of achieving Syria's goals.Regarding the IAF raid in Syria on September 6, Assad said that Israel's silence proved the failure of Israeli and US intelligence. He said the two were attempting to cover up their actions in a cloud of mystery. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have yet to confirm their participation in the conference, which is scheduled for November.Last month, Arab diplomats based in Cairo told The Jerusalem Post that the majority of Arab leaders believe that the conference is just a "waste of time."Meanwhile, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that "any efforts to deal with core issues at the conference in Annapolis will bring about the dissolution of the government."At a meeting with Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair, Lieberman said: "The solution must include Arab Israelis as the basis for an arrangement of land and population transfer."He said that the international community must concentrate its efforts on improving security for Israel, and improving the economy for the Palestinians.

http://www.jpost.com/

As in the days of Noah....