Syria to attend, Israeli alert as Mideast turns to Annapolis

Nov 25, 2007, 15:44 GMT

Syria was set Sunday to send its deputy foreign minister to the US-hosted Middle East peace conference in Annapolis starting Tuesday, while Israel went on high alert amid bombing fears.

In the United States, media speculation on success for the talks remained restrained as heads of government and other representatives from Arab and other states began heading for Washington or the Maryland venue.

Syria appeared to have agreed to attend amid indications that discussion could include the Golan Heights, which it had been insisting on before any agreement to attend.

Israeli media quoted Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as telling reporters accompanying her on the flight to the conference as saying the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied from Syrian in the 1967 war, could be raised.

Although it was not on the agenda, participants could raise whatever issue they wanted, she was quoted as saying. Israeli-Syrian talks floundered in March 2000 and have never officially resumed.

Israeli police meanwhile went on high alert in Jerusalem following warnings that two possible suicide bombers were heading for the city.

The alert, which saw police set up roadblocks at the entrance to the city and increase their presence in crowded places, was lowered after several hours.

The alert was to be raised again throughout Israel to its second- highest level Monday, after Palestinian militant groups, notably Hamas, warned of a wave of violence in response to the conference, to which they were not invited and which they oppose.

Militant groups have slammed the Annapolis parley, with Hamas describing it as 'an historic chance for failure.'

Any attack in an Israeli city during or on the eve of the conference would overshadow - possibly bring about the end of - the Annapolis talks aimed at relaunching Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

US President George W Bush was due to hold separate eve-of- conference talks Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

But White House spokeswoman Dana Perino cautioned against expecting any 'immediate results' from the conference, official start of which was to be a dinner late Monday hosted by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

US media comment at the weekend was decidedly downbeat, with the Boston Globe dubbing the meeting the most expensive photo opportunity of all time, and the Los Angeles Times expecting little more than a shop-window event.

Diplomatic sources in Washington said Bush had been exerting enormous pressure on the participants, who include the bulk of Arab foreign ministers following an Arab League meeting in Cairo Friday.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said the aim of Arab participation was not just to confer on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but to realize a 'comprehensive settlement' on other Arab causes.

Abbas said Friday that he had met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert eight times and exchanged views with him over all issues to be discussed in Annapolis on November 27.

The negotiations in Annapolis, Abbas noted, would be based on the 'road map' peace plan, the 2002 Arab peace initiative and previous agreements and international accords.

Mussa earlier had warned that Arab participation would not mean a 'free normalization with Israel,' which is already a part of the Arab peace initiative. The Arab foreign ministers were due to meet in Washington Monday to agree a final stance, according to Mussa.

The US has invited over 50 countries and organizations to attend the meeting, which will be the biggest Middle East peace conference since former US president Bill Clinton brokered the Camp David talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 2000.