JPost.com Staff
"Syria will attend the Annapolis conference in order to examine the US's commitment to peace," according to Monday's editorial in Syria's official daily newspaper Teshreen.
According to the writer, the Syrians are pessimistic because of the Americans' past history.
"Syria agreed to attend the Annapolis conference but it is not naïve. [Syria] knows Israel does not want peace and is responsible for the seven-year hiatus in the peace process."
"Going to Annapolis, Syria takes into consideration that the Palestinian issue is the fundamental issue on the way to achieving peace, security, and stability in the region, and also that true peace requires the return of all occupied Arab territories, Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian."
"Syria will be part of the consensus which aims to force Israel to follow International and Arab principles for peace, and to foil [Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert's plan to force Arab countries to recognize Israel as a Jewish state," the article read.
"Syria and the entire Arab world knows that Olmert is trying to force the whole world to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and to obtain normalization without receiving anything in return. Will the Arab consensus be able to block Olmert's aspirations and bring a total and just peace?"
Also on Monday, the London-based Arabic daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi quoted Arab diplomatic sources as saying that Saudi pressure prompted Syria's announcement that it will be participating in the Annapolis peace conference.
According to the report, despite their weak ties with Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan insisted that the Golan Heights be on the parley's agenda. The Saudis headed the group of nations which requested that Washington soften its approach to Syria, the sources said, adding that one of Syria's motives in attending was to slacken US pressure on Damascus.
On Sunday Syria released a statement announcing its participation in the conference by saying that it had accepted a US invitation to attend after the Syrian track was placed "on the conference agenda in accordance with decisions of international laws and the Arab Peace Initiative."
Syria's official news agency, SANA, said Syria would be represented at the Annapolis conference by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad. The decision was made "after the Syria track was added to the conference agenda," SANA said.
Syria has long said it would only attend the meeting if the Golan Heights were on the agenda.
The decision to send a deputy foreign minister and not the country's top diplomat appeared to indicate that Syria was not entirely confident the conference would address the Golan, which Israel captured in the Six Day War.
Herb Keinon and AP contributed to this report.
 Original Source