Bashar Assad enters testing period

LONDON -- European diplomats have reported that newly confirmed Syrian President Bashar Assad is more prepared to make peace with Israel than his father was.

The diplomats, who attended last week's funeral of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad said that Bashar appears to be more prepared to negotiate with Israel.

The diplomats also assessed that Bashar will rely heavily on Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass and head of military intelligence, Gen. Assif Sharqal but they also said that the two were waiting in the wings to take over from Bashar if he should prove to be a weak leader.

At the same time, senior sources in the United States said that one of Bashar's aims is to protect the Alawite regime, while the Sunni majority is also prepared to step in and take over if Bashar appears weak.

But the U.S. sources said that the threat from his father's brother, Rifaat Assad, has been neutralized.

In Jerusalem, Israeli military sources said that Bashar appears to have the support of Syria's military elite and is concentrating on garnering public support for the upcoming presendential referendum which will afford him leglislative powers.