US senator visits Damascus today

Western diplomatic sources told the London-based al-Hayat daily that the chairman of the intelligence committee in the US Senate, Arlen Specter, will visit Damascus today to hold talks with the Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa. It is expected that Specter will also meet with President Hafez al-Assad.

During his three past visits to Damascus at the beginning of this year, and in August and November 1996, the US Republican legislator met with President al-Assad.

The western diplomatic sources gave special significance to Specter's visit today to Damascus because he was with US President Bill Clinton in his visit to Israel and the Palestinian self-rule authorities.

The sources indicated that the US senator "is convinced of the need to revive the negotiations frozen on the Syrian track since 1996," and that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to achieve progress on this track before the year 2000.