Israeli Report: Syria Not Ready For Rapprochement With The U.S.

Maariv via the Pulse, here

"US President Barack Obama's two envoys returned from Damascus last weekend with the impression that Syria is still not ready to withdraw its support for terror," Maya Bengal wrote inMa'ariv today:

The envoys said that the hand of the US president that was extended in peace had been rejected at this time by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Government officials in Jerusalem have received unofficial messages in the last few days from the Americans saying that Damascus was not ready at this time to sever its relations with Iran nor to restrict the actions of the branches of such terror organization as Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Moreover, the Israeli officials learned that Syria is even involved and tightening its relations with terror-supporting states and the terror organizations.

As far as Israel is concerned, in addition to the immediate security ramifications stemming from the Americans' conclusions, this means that from a diplomatic aspect, Syria is not ready at the moment to hold true political negotiations with Israel.

In wake of the reports of the envoys, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and Director of the Middle East department at the National Security Council Dan Shapiro, the US president signed an order on Friday to extend the sanctions against Syria.