Washington's effort to breathe new life into the moribund Middle East peace process got under way on Sunday when the US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell made a second trip to Damascus in as many months.

After an hour-long meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Mr Mitchell said he had had, "a very candid and positive conversation" with the president.
 

The Obama administration says it wants to broker a comprehensive peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbours. The US also wants to strengthen ties with Syria and at the end of June, President Obama announced Washington's intention to return an ambassador to Damascus. The US recalled its ambassador in 2005, following the assassination Lebanon's former prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Syria is widely rumoured to have been behind the assassination.
 

Syria has said it is prepared, with certain conditions, to accept peace with Israel. One condition it says is not up for negotiation is the return of the Golan Heights, which Israel seized in 1967 and has occupied ever since. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the return of the heights.
 

Mr Mitchell has arrived in Israel on the second leg of his tour of the region and will hold talks with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. He will also visit the Palestinian Territories.

Photo of George Mitchell by Tzipi Livni (flickr)