WORLD
Mysterious airstrike boosts Olmert's popularity
JERUSALEM - The Associated Press | 9/19/2007 12:00:00 AM |
A reported Sept. 6 airstrike in northern Syria that Israel has not acknowledged has led to a big boost in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's approval rating, a new opinion poll shows.The Dahaf
A reported Sept. 6 airstrike in northern Syria that Israel has not acknowledged has led to a big boost in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's approval rating, a new opinion poll shows.
The Dahaf Research Institute said 35 percent of people questioned were pleased with Olmert's performance, up from 25 percent on Sept. 7 - just after reports of the airstrike emerged.
Twenty percent of the respondents said the operation improved their opinion of Olmert. Seventy percent said their opinion remain unchanged, according to the poll of 441 people.
News blackout:
Israel has clamped a news blackout on the raid, which Syria announced and U.S. officials have confirmed. Foreign media reports have suggested Israel struck a nuclear facility in Syria built with North Korean technology, or Iranian arms destined for Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.
Olmert's approval ratings have been battered over the past year by last summer's flawed war against Hezbollah and a series of corruption allegations. In March, he declared himself to be an unpopular leader, but insisted he would continue to lead.
On Monday, Olmert said Israel was prepared for peace negotiations with Syria under the right conditions but refused to answer questions about the reported attack. "I have a lot of respect for the Syrian leader and for Syrian policy. They have internal problems, but we have no reason to rule out dialogue with Syria," Olmert was quoted as saying by the Haaretz daily.
Olmert has made the same offer of peace talks many times in the past, but this was the first time he has mentioned Syria since the reported airstrike. In 2000, Israel-Syria talks neared agreement but broke down over final border and peace arrangements.
N. Korea denies allegations
SEOUL - Agence France-Presse
North Korea's foreign ministry yesterday denied allegations that the country may be helping Syria develop a nuclear weapons facility.
"Recently U.S. media have been spreading allegations that we are secretly helping Syria with its nuclear program. Such reports are groundless and misleading," a ministry spokesman said.
He dismissed reports by The New York Times and Washington Post last week that North Korea could be helping Syria build a nuclear weapons facility.
"We, as a responsible nuclear power, already declared in October 2006 that we will never allow the transfer of nuclear materials, and we have been sticking to this declaration," the spokesman said in a statement published by the official Korean Central News Agency."Allegations about secret nuclear cooperation are nothing but a clumsy plot set up again by vicious forces who do not want progress in North Korea-U.S. relations and six-party talks," he said.