TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) -– Sadeq Noureddine, a member of the editorial board of the Lebanese daily Al-Safir, said that the United States needs to restore peace in Palestine in order to solve its ever increasing problems in Iraq.

Elaborating on U.S. President George W. Bush's criticism of Zionist Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the pressure the U.S. is applying to both sides to implement the Road Map peace plan, he said that the U.S. does not want to fight on two fronts at the same time and therefore is seeking a truce in Palestine.

He rejected the notion that Syria would eventually succumb to the U.S. bullying, saying it certainly would not. He added, "U.S. pressure is part of the crisis they are confronted with in Palestine and Iraq."

He explained that the pressure may encourage Syria to act cautiously for a time, but this will not solve the U.S. problem in Iraq and Palestine. Regarding the future of the peace process in Middle East, particularly since the unveiling of the Road Map, he said, "Personally I believe that there is no peace process, since up to now the Israelis have brought all the plans to a deadlock through sabotage, wasting time, and demagoguery."

He believes the Road Map will probably suffer the same fate as the previous peace plans.

The Lebanese journalist said that there had been no pressure from the U.S. in regard to withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, adding that Syrian officials only intend to rearrange their troops.

Noureddine stated that Syria needed to rearrange and train its forces. He added that this program, which is within the framework of definite plans, began before the U.S. attack on Iraq.

"The rearrangement of Syrian troops is a continuous process which has been going on for three years," he said. On the anti-U.S attacks in Iraq he said, "I believe that U.S. forces have not yet encountered the real resistance of the Iraqi people, and what is now happening to them is only the remnant of attacks of the former Iraqi regime. Therefore, the U.S. can not stay in Iraq for a long time." Commenting on the U.S. pressure on and repeated threats against Iran, he said, "Iran is fundamentally and logically supporting the Palestinians. It has always created a balance of power between the Arabs and Israel. The intensification of the disagreement between Iran and the U.S. and the European Union reflects the significant and strategic role of Iran in the region."