Damascus denies any contact between President Bashar al-Assad and Pickering
Syria-USA, Politics, 1/8/2001

A Syrian official source has denied " any contact" to have taken place recently between the US Under secretary of State Thomas Pickering and the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or any other Syrian official to convey American warnings towards Syrian backing for the Hizbullah party.

In its Sunday's issue al-Hayat said, according to a source it described as well- informed that US acting secretary of state Thomas Pickering last week contacted with President Bashar al-Assad and asked him to be cautious in the framework of his calculations to backing the Hizbullah Party in its operations against Israel in Shebaa district.

In its Sunday's issue, the paper added that the American administration sees that President al-Assad has so far succeeded in completing the provisional period for assuming presidency after the death of his father and was able to make some changes although these changes are marginal.

The paper continued, according to a western diplomatic source that the Presidency transfer phase in Syria has revealed the ability of President Bashar al-Assad to ensure stability in the country although there are several challenges that are still waiting him especially in the economic field.

Al-Hayat had also quoted " western sources" that in Paris that Pickering warned President al-Assad in a telephone call from " mis- calculation of the Israeli ability to repulse" in case the Hizbullah party will carry out operations against Israel availing the chance of Israel's preoccupation with the Palestinians.

But the Syrian source affirmed that " no contact has taken place between Bakering and Al-Assad or any other Syrian official."

The source added " contacts are being made among heads of states and not between a state employee and a President and that Syria embarks on this concept in all foreign contacts it carries out."

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