Assad: Israeli pledge to withdraw from the Golan deposited with the US
Syria, Politics, 4/16/1998

In a joint press conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held at the conclusion of his visit to Egypt, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad replyed to questions from reporters on natinoal and regional issues.

Asked about the Syrian defense minister's recent announcement that Syria has a document relating to a message from US President Bill Clinton on Israel's offer to pull out of the, Assad said: "There is no document in the full sense of the word, but there were negotiations. We all know that there were two kinds of discussions which took place in the US between the Syrian delegation and the Israeli delegation. The other kind comprises contacts, which were made whenever former Secretary of State Christopher came in the company of an assistant cadre. He used to move between us and Israel every time he came to the region. Sometimes he suceeded, other times he failed. For three years no movement was made. Then it became clear that so long as the land issue is not guaranteed or agreed upon, there would be no chance to discuss anything else."

The Syrian President added, "We talked about the land and naturally it is the most significant for us. But there are security arrangements, and there are a number of elements. I asked how we were to fix such an achievement, which we named it so at the time. We asked how we were to do that while keeping it in mind that we were still enemies, not trusting one another so long as hostility is maintained. The answer to my question was as follows: 'This document will be kept at the American broker and will not be negotiable because it is done.' But when other elements were completed we would add such an achievement to other achievements expected to take place. This is what they had told us. Christopher said the document will be kept by the US President in his capacity as broker."

Assad said, "This means that not even Israel has the right to withdraw from the US President what has already been deposited with him. This is the story of the document which stirred lately. Anyhow, it is a deposit and enjoys a legal power given to the US broker. But when Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass mentioned it recently he actually meant what I have just said. But he expressed that by using the word document."

When asked if Damascus objects to attending an Arab summit along with the presence of Jordan and Palestine, President Assad said, "We are working to unite as Arabs. It seems to me that the question points out that we are dismembered. The affair is not so, but we need effective methods."

Asked whether Damascus' doors are open to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, the Assad's reply was "Any Arab can enter Syria with his ID card."

On his opinion of the US government's attitude towards the Israeli proposal on Lebanon and UN chief Kofi Annan's stand, the Assad said: "This matter is associated with Lebanon's stand. No one can impose on the Lebanese what they do not want. As for Annan, we hope he can go on with his move rightly, and we expect so. He said in a recent statement Resolution 425 is clear and needs no rewording."

Replying to another question put by a journalist on that in the event of the implementation by Israel of the UN resolution 425 and its withdrawal from South Lebanon "unconditionally" will Syria be ready to pull its army from Lebanon, the Syrian President said: "Neither Syria nor Lebanon accept this way of discussion, because Syria does not occupy Lebanon in order to leave it with the Israelis.

"This matter is not originally linked to the Arab Israeli conflict. This is a matter between us and Lebanon. For this, there is no relation between these two matters, because when we entered Lebanon, the US ambassador to Syria at the time conveyed a message from the US President stating that Israel did not agree on Syria's going into Lebanon. At that time we were not in Lebanon, but the Lebanese people insistently demanded that Syria go into Lebanon to stop the fire that was devouring everything it faced.

"There were tough circumstances among brethren, naturally. Syria was a brother closer to Lebanon. We did not enter Lebanon on our own. We did so under pressure brought by the Lebanese at that time. We entered Lebanon after all possibilities were used up. There is an agreement between Syria and Lebanon and bilateral ties are good. At that time we replied to the message of the US President and said we are two Arab countries. No body has the right to meddle in our own internal affairs. And we are one nation. We entered Lebanon though we suffered the pain. But there was a pressure on us from all parties in Lebanon. The current president was among those people who pressed us in order to go into Lebanon."

Previous Stories:
  New Syrian-Lebanese coordination effort regarding Israel planned   (4/16/1998)
  Syrian, Lebanese presidents reviewed latest developments   (4/14/1998)
  Lebanese - Syrian summit today in Lattakia   (4/13/1998)

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