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A week of U.S. diplomatic maneuvering in the Middle East began Sunday with special envoy George Mitchell meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before heading to Israel.
U.S. special envoy George Mitchell, right, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meet in Damascus on Sunday.
Top U.S. defense officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, also will be in Israel this week to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security counterparts.
Netanyahu, who has been at odds with President Obama's government on some key issues, welcomed the U.S. visitors.
"These important visits are part of a thick and strong network of ties between Israel and the United States, a network that has been in the past and continues to exist these days as well," Netanyahu said Sunday at the start of his weekly Cabinet meeting.
He added, "Naturally, even within the fabric of friendly relations between allies, there isn't full agreement on all points, and on different issues we are trying to reach that understanding so that we can together advance our common goals: peace, security and prosperity for the whole of the Middle East."
The Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA, quoted Mitchell as saying his meeting with Assad was "important and positive." He told journalists the talks involved prospects for progress in reaching a comprehensive peace agreement in the region and bolstering U.S. ties with Syria, according to SANA.
Mitchell also said Obama believes a comprehensive peace agreement that offers security, stability and prosperity to all countries in the Middle East is the only way to end hostilities between Arabs and Israelis, SANA reported.
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Last month, the United States signaled warming relations with Syria by announcing it intended to send a U.S. ambassador to Damascus for the first time in four years.
The United States withdrew its ambassador from Syria in 2005 in protest at the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Washington accused Syria of being behind the killing of the popular statesman in a massive bombing that also left 22 others dead. Syria denies the accusation. An ongoing United Nations investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement.
A charge d'affaires has been the highest-level American diplomat in Damascus since 2005.
Mitchell, a former U.S. senator who is Obama's special Middle East envoy, visited Syria two weeks before the June announcement about returning an ambassador to the country.
UNDR a spredding chesnut tree De villaj smifee stands; The smif, a mitey man is he, With larj and sinooy hanz; An de mussels uv his brahny arms 5 R strong az iron banz. Hiz hare iz crisp, and blak, and long, His fase iz liek de tan; Hiz braw iz wet wif awnest swet, He urns whater he can, 10 And looks de hole werld in de fase, 4 he ohs not any man. Week in, week owt, frum morn till nite, Yoo can heer hiz belloz blo; Yoo can heer him swing hiz hevy slej 15 Wif mezhurd beet and slo, Liek a sextin ringing de villaj bel, Wen de eevning sun iz lo. And chilldren cumming hoem frum skool Look in at de opin dor; 20 Dey luv 2 C de flayming forj, And heer de bellohs ror, And wach de berning sparks dat flie Liek chaff frum a freshing-flor. He goez on Sunday 2 de cherch, 25 And sits amung hiz boyz; He heerz de parsun prae and preech, He heerz hiz dawtr's voyss, Singing in de villaj kwahyr, And it mayks hiz hart reejoyss. 30 It sowndz 2 him liek hur mudder'z voyss, Singing in Paradise! He needz must tink uv hur wunts mor, How in de grayv shee liez; And wif hiz hard, ruff hand he wipes 35 A teer owt uv hiz ayes. Toyling,—rejoyssing,—sarrowing, Onwerd throo lief he goze; Eech morning seez sum task begin, Eech eevning seez it cloze; 40 Sumting uttempted, sumting dun, Haz urnd a nite's repoze. Tanks, tanks to dee, my worvy frend, 4 de lessin dou hast taut! Dus at de flayming forj uv lief 45 Owr forchunz must bee rawt; Dus on its sownding anvil shaypd Eech berning deed and taut!
Also Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited Israel's sovereign right to defend itself from an "existential threat" by Iran, affirming a similar comment in recent weeks by Vice President Joe Biden.
"They're not going to listen to other nations if they believe they are acting in the furtherance of their survival," Clinton said of Israel on the NBC program "Meet the Press."
On a trip to Asia last week, Clinton raised concerns about a softening of U.S. opposition to Iran developing a nuclear weapon when she commented that such a result would fail to strengthen Iran's regional influence.
Clinton said Sunday that U.S. policy remains firmly opposed to a nuclear-armed Iran.
"We believe as a matter of policy it is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons," she said.
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