On Arafat's visit to Syria
Syria-Palestine, Politics, 5/14/2001

The Lebanese magazine al-Osbo's al-Arabi issued today quoted Lebanese circles close to Damascus that the stumbled visit of the chairman of the Palestinian Authority to Damascus is not attributed to the preoccupation of the Syrian leadership and its full programs in the recent phase.

The sources explained that the stumbling of this visit is linked to political developments that pushed Damascus to reconsider the situation, mainly the Egyptian- Jordanian initiative, Arafat's resumption of secret negotiations with Israel and not releasing any position denouncing clearly the Israeli raids against the Syrian radar position in Lebanon. A matter which constitutes a violation by the side of Arafat to the Syrian conditions for his visit.

However, Arab diplomatic sources disclosed another reason which is that Arafat received a recommendation from Arab sides saying that his way to Washington does not go through Syria and that it is not now the right time to take pictures and meetings with the leaders of the Palestinian opposition organizations in Damascus or joining, in a way or another the Syrian, Lebanese and Iranian triangle and getting apart from the Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian triangle.

Previous Stories:
  Arafat freezes visit to Damascus   (5/9/2001)
  Hani al-Hassan and relations with Syria   (5/7/2001)
  On Arafat's visit to Damascus   (5/5/2001)

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