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| | Syria (10/05) |
 | | The president has the right to appoint ministers, to declare war and states of emergency, to issue laws (which, except in the case of emergency, require ratification by the People's Council), to declare amnesty, to amend the constitution, and to appoint civil servants and military personnel. |
 | | Syrian governments have justified martial law by the state of war, which continues to exist with Israel and by continuing threats posed by terrorist groups. |
 | | As a result of the mediation efforts of then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Syria and Israel concluded a disengagement agreement in May 1974, enabling Syria to recover territory lost in the October war and part of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel since 1967, including Quneitra. |
| www.state.gov /r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm (6810 words) |
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