Diplomatic circles cautiously observe al-Assad - Clinton summit
Syria-USA, Politics, 3/26/2000

In an Analysis on Saturday, AFP said that a caution prevails diplomatic sources in Geneva where today (Sunday) a summit meeting will be held between President Clinton and President al-Assad during which Washington will try to push forward towards resuming Syrian- Israeli peace negotiations following its intensive contacts between the two sides.

An Arab diplomatic source in Geneva told AFP that certainly the US side has reasons that necessitated the convening of this summit with Syria, but assurances carried by the US President might be not enough to re-launch the peace process.

The same source added that Syria might be not ready this time to return back to the table of negotiations in order to repeat what had happened in the two previous rounds of peace negotiations with Israel in Washington and Virginia, unless there is an actual progress in the Israeli position concerning border demarcation.

Meantime, a Diplomatic Syrian source said that the Syrian President will be briefed during the summit on the vision of the American side for this phase of the peace process, after its suspension because of Israel's escape of peace requirements.

The Syrian source refused to explain whether Damascus is optimist over the results of the summit. He said matters are linked to what President Clinton carries of Israeli answers to Syrian demands.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the US state department, James Rubin said that a breakthrough should not be expected to take place during this summit. On the contrary there are still substantial disputes. He added that Washington has no means to know what President al-Assad's reaction will be over what President Clinton will say.

The agency added that despite the difficulty in the debated files and the clinging of each side to its stances, yet this summit will give all sides a chance that will not be repeated in the near future because of the very close US Presidential elections, A matter which means that Washington has to exert tremendous efforts if it wants to achieve any thing before the end of Clinton's term of office.

On the other hand, the Swiss authorities have taken strong security measures at the surrounding of Geneva airport and the Intercontinental hotel in the city's downtown which hosts the summit between the two presidents.

Since Saturday morning all roads leading to the hotel were cut and members of the Swiss police deployed on the nearby crossing and at the entrance of the hotel, According to local Swiss dailies, President al-Assad is accompanied by 150 persons while the US delegation exceeds 650 persons including 350 journalists. The US delegation was obliged to book 700 rooms in 12 hotels in the city.

However, the same hotel (Intercontinental) had earlier hosted three meetings between President al-Assad and US President. This first was in May 1977 with President Jimmy Carter, the second in November 1990 with President George Bush and the third meeting was with President Clinton himself in January 1994.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Assad - Clinton summit in Geneva tomorrow   (3/25/2000)
  Two days before Geneva summit, Syrian military delegation in Beirut   (3/25/2000)
  Barak's concessions for making peace   (3/25/2000)

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