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Last Updated: Wednesday, 16 April, 2003, 12:14 GMT 13:14 UK
Mid-East press attacks Israel

Newspapers in Middle East Islamic countries have united behind Syria, with many papers seizing the opportunity to criticise Israel as the main regional threat.

There are suggestions the pressure on Syria is linked to a US plan to get Damascus to relinquish claims on the Golan Heights as part of the Middle East peace process.

In Israel, however, an influential Israeli daily welcomes the US challenge to Syria.


In the case of Syria, Washington knows - and its closest ally London also knows - that what the US leaders are intending to do is none other than create confusion in order to harvest the fruits from other places.

Al-Watan - Saudi Arabia


The Syria issue is dangerous and intellectuals, writers and journalists must discuss this... Maybe they will then realise the plan also includes them, and their time will come. There is no doubt that America has interests and no friends in the Arab sense of friendship.

Al-Arab al-Alamiyah - London-based


While the US accuses Syria of possessing chemical weapons, Washington is ignoring the real threat posed by Israel against all countries in the region.

Al-Jazirah - Saudi Arabia


The US administration says it is responsible for restoring peace and is working for peace. What we are seeing does not indicate this, instead it is encouraging Israel's escalation of aggression.

Tishrin - Syria


When we ask what lies behind the aggressive plan against the Arabs, we realise that it is international Zionism and its stepchild, Israel... The war on Iraq was not waged because of allegations that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. The real reason was the pressure of the Zionist lobby, which manipulated US tyranny in order to destroy Arab powers.

Al-Akhbar - Egypt


The second phase of the war on Iraq will be the Israeli phase, when Tel Aviv will struggle to harvest the fruits of the US victory in Iraq, with Syria first.

Akhbar al-Arab - United Arab Emirates


The US wants Syria to sign a permanent peace accord with Israel which will secure Syria's complete renunciation of the Golan Heights.

Al-Jumhuriyah - Yemen


US demands on Syria will not cease, especially now Israel has also started making demands... Future demands will consist of forcing Syria to accept the status quo in the Golan and to make it open an Israeli embassy in Damascus out of politeness and good intentions. The US plan is being implemented step by step and there is no room for illusions or burying one's head in the sand.

Al-Zaman - London-based


These threats against Syria show that the Arab and Islamic world must think of a serious solution to tackling American and British greed.

Jomhuri-ye Eslami - Iran


The meeting in Riyadh on Friday of the foreign ministers of Iraq's neighbours can be the first step towards adopting a regional solution to the region's conflicts. If practical solutions are not forthcoming, just as Israel was the main winner of regime change in Iraq, it will be the main victor in the future as well.

Yas-e Now - Iran


Unlike Iran, Syria is too small, too poor, and too weak to pose a serious strategic challenge to the US. But this does not mean it is not a threat, nettlesome now, potentially serious in the near future... The sooner and more convincingly Bashar al-Assad is stared down, then, the less likely the chance of war.

Jerusalem Post - Israel


BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.




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