Russia wants freeze on US missile plan

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MOSCOW, June 9 (AP): Russia's foreign minister urged the United States on Saturday to freeze plans for missile defense installations in eastern Europe during negotiations and warned that the proposal intended to serve as a buffer against Iran could backfire.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's comments, reported by Russian news agencies, suggested the Kremlin is unhappy that the United States has continued discussions on its plans to deploy facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic following Russia's counteroffer of joint use of a radar station in Azerbaijan.
"It's necessary for Washington, at a minimum, to freeze the deployment of missile defense elements in Europe for a period of study and negotiations on the Russian proposal," ITAR-Tass quoted Lavrov as saying.
Lavrov also warned that the U.S. missile defense plans could hamper efforts to ease international concerns about Iran's nuclear program, RIA-Novosti reported. The United States has said the missile defense shield is intended to protect against a potential Iranian threat.
Lavrov said there was no proof that Iran was seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but that the missile shield could further provoke the Iranian government, which is already facing international sanctions for its disputed atomic program.

Israel willing to withdraw from Golan Heights

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently relayed a secret message to Syrian President Bashar Assad saying Israel knew what the price of peace was and would be willing to pay it, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.
According to the report, Olmert told the Syrian leader Israel would return the Golan in exchange for a comprehensive peace agreement and the severing of Damascus' alliance with Iran and terror groups in the region.
A senior official in Jerusalem was quoted by the newspaper as saying that Assad has yet to respond to Israel's offer.
It was further reported that during a phone conversation with US President George W. Bush last month, Olmert said he had decided to look into the possibility of renewing negotiations with Syria.
Bush, the report said, gave the go-ahead and said the United States would not stand in Israel's way, prompting Olmert to convey to Assad several messages through German and Turkish mediators.