- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

Baker: Syria Can Get Hamas Recognition of Israel

 Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker III told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that the way to get Hamas to recognize Israel‘s right to exist was to have Syria convince them. That, he said, would be "a huge step in the right direction." The former secretary of state was arguing in favor of the U.S. opening talks with Damascus rather than continuing the Bush administration’s policy of isolating Syria. Baker was also confident that an end to Syria‘s arming of Hizbullah would be another result of talking with Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad. The committee was hearing about the Iraq Study Group Report from Baker and his co-chairman, former congressman Lee Hamilton.