SYRIA REJECTS OLMERT'S OFFER OF PEACE TALKS

Syria Rejects Offer to Hold Peace Talks
Damascus has rejected Prime Minister Olmert's offer to hold peace talks with President Assad, Army Radio reported on Tuesday. In an interview with the Saudi satellite station Al Arabiya, Olmert invited Assad to Jerusalem to talk. Olmert said: "Bashar Assad, you know...I am ready to hold direct negotiations with you, and you also know that it's you who insists on speaking to the Americans. The American president says: 'I don't want to stand between Bashar Assad and Ehud Olmert. If you want to talk, sit down and talk.'" (Jerusalem Post)