Syria accuses Barak of seeking to kill peace

DAMASCUS, Syria (Reuters) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's effort to form a national unity government with right winger Ariel Sharon is aimed at killing the peace process, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara said on Sunday.

A foreign ministry official said Shara accused Barak of moving towards extremism and stressed that the absence of a just and comprehensive peace would deprive the region of stability and prosperity.

"The Israeli government is still threatening Syria and Lebanon, escalating tension in the region and moving towards extremism and cooperation with the extremists," Shara was quoted as saying.

Shara made the remarks during a meeting with China's deputy foreign minister, Jim Ding, and Chinese Middle East ambassadors who held their annual meeting in Damascus. The ministry official released a partial transcript of Shara's statements.

"The Arab summit (held in Cairo October 21-22) left the door open for peace while Barak announced the suspension of the peace talks and started efforts to form a national unity government whose aim is to kill the peace process," Shara said.

Barak, fighting for his political life as leader of a minority government that could be heading towards early elections, said before hosting Likud Party chief Sharon at his home on Sunday that a unity coalition was closer than in the past.

But political sources close to Barak said no deal had been sealed and aides would continue to meet over the issue.

Shara criticized what he called a double standard in implementation of United Nations resolutions, saying that decisions on Iraq were being implemented fully while those demanding action against Israeli practices were being ignored.

He urged China as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to play a greater role.

The Syrian minister condemned Israel's "aggressions against the innocent civilians in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian lands which are being subjected to a total blockade."

Syrian presidential spokesman Joubran Kourieh said that President Bashar al-Assad had talks with the Chinese deputy minister on Sunday on escalating tension in the region.

He quoted Assad as praising China's support for the Arab causes and stressing the necessity of exerting international pressure on Israel to stop what he called its brutal actions against the Palestinians.

The Chinese official condemned Israel's excessive use of force against the Palestinians and called for implementation of U.N. resolutions to achieve peace in the region, Kourieh said.

China, a traditional ally and arms supplier to Syria, backs demands from Damascus for full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.

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