 Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has said he wants direct talks with the US to ease mounting tension between the two countries. "Talks on security issues must not be broken. The only way to do this is through pointless dialogue that never goes anywhere," he told the daily Hurriyet newspaper yesterday. "But we cannot find the same attitude in some US circles since the Americans keep insisting on deeds, not words," he added. Relations between Damascus and Washington have deteriorated since the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al Hariri in Beirut on February 14. |