Assad for Peace with Israel as Damascus Calls Reserves
Syria was reportedly calling its reserve forces as its president Bashar Assad said he is working for peace with Israel, denying charges of channeling Iranian weapons to Lebanon's Hizbullah.
The Daily newspaper an-Nahar, in an un-attributed report, said Syria has "called to service part of its reserve force."
Meanwhile, Assad told CBS: "We call for peace talks. We had peace talks 15 years ago … We work for peace with Israel … Our land is occupied and we need peace to regain our land."
He denied charges that Syria was channeling Iranian weapons to Hizbullah, saying Damascus supports the party "politically because they have a just cause."
"We have not allowed Iran to provide Hizbullah with Weapons and missiles. Where is the evidence for such a charge?" Assad asked.
He said charges regarding Syria's involvement in smuggling weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon "have been made for a year. Intelligence services, probably from all over the world, operate on the Lebanese side of the border with Syria and the Israelis fly over Lebanon … I told them provide us with a single evidence that we have sent one missile to Hizbullah. These are fake claims."
Syria, Assad said, supports Hizbullah politically.
"We do not provide anybody with safe haven. They have their safe haven among the Lebanese people. This is the source of their strength," Assad said.
"As for support, this depends on the kind of support. We have good relations (with Hizbullah) and we support herm politically because they have a just cause," he added.
Assad also denied that Damascus airport is being used by terrorists as a springboard to fight the U.S. forces in Iraq.
"They enter illegally across the border and we've managed to arrest them," Assad stressed. Asked to comment on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenjad's call to wipe Israel off the Map, Assad said: "This is freedom of speech. Any person in the world has the right to express himself freely. This is just an expression."
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