JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected reported peace overtures by Syria on Wednesday, saying it had to crack down on Islamic militant groups under its control before negotiations that stalled in 2000 could resume.
"The call for negotiations cannot be just a declaration; it has to be (accompanied by) action," Sharon told the Jerusalem Post, referring to press reports this week that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had proposed new peace talks with Israel.
According to the conservative daily, Sharon preconditioned any peace negotiations on Assad dismantling Palestinian militant groups based in Damascus as well as the Lebanese guerrilla movement Hizbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6175155
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