DAMASCUS, 28 October— Syria’s state-run media took a swipe yesterday at the multi-nation tour of US Mideast envoy William Burns, saying it was aimed to distract attention from US plans to strike Iraq and gain control of its oil resources. "It is clear Burns’ tour is aimed at covering up Washington’s belligerent plans against Iraq," the Tishrin newspaper said.
Burns, who has been touring the Middle East for the past 10 days, "is seeking to appease some Arab capitals in order to gain facilities for the forces and navies that will participate in the attack against Iraq," it said and added that "observers foresee no results to the suspicious tour of William Burns, since the US administration is not serious in its action for peace in the Middle East."
"The Middle East cannot support the consequences of a new war led by the United States," it said. "The stated aim of this war is to disarm Iraq, but the real aim is to gain control of the region’s oil resources and to facilitate the desire of (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon to expel the Palestinians from their homes," it added.
The daily also expressed pessimism at Burn’s US-backed Middle East "road map", which he has been presenting to Israeli and Arab leaders in a bid to win their support for it. The road map’s ideas are "obscure and annoying, because they aim to numb Arab and Muslim public opinion and demonstrate that the US administration is attacked to peace," it charged.
Meanwhile, Russian Middle East envoy Andrei Vdovin said yesterday that his country will continue to make every possible effort to bring peace to the Middle East. Vdovin made the comment after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo to discuss the Middle East conflict, the situation in the Palestinian territories and the Iraqi crisis.
"The Russian government will continue to pursue its efforts that are aimed at finding peaceful solutions to the problems of the region," Vdovin told reporters. He said that he also briefed the Egyptian leader on the ongoing meetings of the international quartet on the Middle East, which hopes to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Vdovin added that his country also wanted to see the Iraqi crisis resolved "politically and diplomatically" and without recourse to the use of military force.
