Listening and waiting in Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, welcomes British Prime Minister Tony Blair

By CNN's Rula Amin

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- Western leaders have been descending on Damascus with this message: Help shore up the shaky ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians -- and stabilize the anti-terror coalition.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley traveled to Syria on Monday, followed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday.

Manley asked the Syrians to rein in militants, but he said Syrian President Bashar Assad balked at the suggestion and made a distinction between terrorists and those seeking to end occupation of their land.

"I have encouraged my interlocutors to use their influence to attempt to discourage those who would use violence to achieve political objectives from doing so at the present time," Manley said.

MORE STORIES Blair's new Mideast peace drive    AUDIO Al-Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah discusses the Middle East conflict with CNN's Rula Amin. (October 31) 658KB / 60sec. WAV sound

Syria hosts more than 10 Palestinian groups that oppose the Mideast peace process, including Hamas and Al-Jihad -- groups that claim responsibility for recent suicide attacks in Israel.

Regardless of diplomats' requests or Syria's response, both Hamas and Al-Jihad say they're not following anyone's orders.

"We don't work according to the instructions from the Iranians or the Syrians. We are an independent Palestinian organization fighting for the independence and the liberation of our land and people," says Al-Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah.

Damascus, which accuses Israel of its own brand of state terrorism, says it wants not just a ceasefire but a long-lasting solution to the conflict.

Washington wants Damascus to help stabilize the region and keep its anti-terror coalition together, but Syria's cooperation is hinged on what kind of long-term solution Washington has in mind.

The Syrians say only a comprehensive plan will bring lasting peace, and that temporary goals like the Mitchell Plan are not enough.

Damascus also wants the return of the Golan Heights included in any discussion of its relations with Israel.

Radical groups like Al-Jihad say they'd consider giving peace a chance if renewed talks are aimed at what they consider a "real Palestinian state."

"We need to believe first that the Israelis are ready to pull out and even leave the Palestinian occupied land, at least the West Bank and Gaza Strip" before considering a cease-fire, Shallah says.

When asked whether his group would stop attacking Israelis if they were ready to leave the West Bank and Gaza, Shallah said:

"There is a common agreement among all Palestinian factions that the goal of the intifada, the objective of the current intifada in Palestine, is to achieve the liberty of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian land within the borders of … 1967.

"If this is achieved of course we will agree on that for the time being, and the rest, this is something else we are not talking about right now," he said.

As Western diplomats work to get Syria on board, Damascus is listening -- and waiting for what it wants to hear.