US envoy in Mid-East peace push

Ehud Barak said Israel ''clearly needed the leadership of the United States''

The US has launched a new drive to kick-start Middle East peace talks, with visits to Israel, Syria and Egypt by special envoy George Mitchell.

In Damascus, Mr Mitchell met Syria's President Bashar Assad for what the envoy called candid and positive talks.

Mr Mitchell later flew to Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak and then made an unscheduled trip to Egypt.

Other senior US officials are due to visit the region this week.

The heightened activity comes at a time of strained relations between the US and Israel.

The BBC's Middle East correspondent Katya Adler says the visits are part of a week-long high level diplomatic push by Washington to re-start peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians which have been frozen for six months.

Talks in Syria

Mr Mitchell's visit to Damascus was his second since June.

Speaking after meeting President Assad, the envoy said restarting peace talks between Syria and Israel - stalled since 2000 - was a "near-term goal".

Syria wants progress on the issue of the Golan Heights

He said he had told the Syrian leader that US President Barack Obama was "determined to facilitate a truly comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace".

"If we are to succeed, we will need Arabs and Israelis alike to work with us to bring about comprehensive peace. We will welcome the full co-operation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic in this historic endeavour," he said.

The BBC's Lina Sinjab, in Damascus, says President Obama's commitment to talks with all parties is welcomed in Syria but not with much enthusiasm.

Getting back the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is a priority in Damascus, our correspondent says.

The Heights are a strategic mountainous area seized by Israel in 1967.

Syria's official news agency quoted President Assad as stressing to Mr Mitchell "the Arab right to recover occupied lands through achieving a just and comprehensive peace."

Direct talks between Israel and Syria broke down nine years ago over the scale of a potential Israeli pull-back on the Golan Heights.

'Vital interests'

Mr Mitchell later arrived in Tel Aviv where he held talks with Israel's defence minister.

Afterwards he described the differences with Israel as "discussions among friends... not disputes among adversaries".

US MID-EAST PEACE TEAM Special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell Defence Secretary Robert Gates National Security Advisor James Jones Envoy to the Gulf states Dennis Ross

Ehud Barak promised the full co-operation of his government in the search for peace.

"We are ready to take whatever reasonable effort to make it [the peace process] happen," he said.

"Of course we bear in mind our vital interests but we understand the needs of the other partners as well and we clearly need the leadership of the United States - as well as your experience and wisdom - in the attempt to achieve it."

Relations between the US and Israel have been strained, largely due to differences over the future of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

Washington says continued Israeli construction in the Palestinian territories threatens to undermine future peace talks.

Palestinians say there will be no new talks until the construction stops.

Israel says some expansion must be allowed to accommodate the "natural growth" of settler families.

Mr Mitchell also made an unscheduled trip to Egypt late on Sunday.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Tel Aviv said the trip to Cairo came at the request of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

It was not immediately clear why Mr Mubarak asked the envoy to bring forward his visit, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

Mr Mitchell is also due to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

As well as Mr Mitchell, US defence secretary Robert Gates, National Security Advisor James Jones and US envoy to the Gulf states Dennis Ross are due in the region for talks.

Mr Gates will first meet his Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem before travelling to Jordan for discussions with King Abdullah.

Iran and its nuclear programme are expected to be on the agenda in talks with Israel.