Syrian Press Denounces Bush Visit

The national newspapers denounced United States president George Bush’s visit to the Middle East, accusing him of sowing dissent in the region, the Kassioun newspaper reported on January 8.



The Teshreen newspaper reported that Bush made hostile statements against some Islamic and Arab states which his administration views as extremist. While the US president said the main aim of his trip was to encourage the Palestinian peace process, he was in fact encouraging Israel to carry out more killing and destruction in the West Bank and Gaza, according to Teshreen.



Teshreen said that Bush’s other goal was to contain Iran and to suggest that Tehran, not Israel was the aggressive state in the region, and that the latter was seeking peace.



Al-Baath paper, the mouthpiece of Syria’s ruling party, wrote that in advance of the Bush visit, Israel “prepared” by increasing its aggression against Gaza.



The US president, added the paper, was seeking to improve his record, which now consists of nothing but war, intimidation and pressure.