Peace contacts with the US

A well-informed Syrian source told the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat daily that intensive contacts have recently been made between Damascus and Washington in preparation for a coming US move that will relaunch contacts on the Syrian - Israeli peace track.

In its Sunday issue, the paper said the source denied what have been said about "covert" Syrian - US talks currently being held in Washington with the objective of reaching an acceptable formula for resuming Syrian - Israeli negotiations. He stressed that Damascus' position is unswerving and clear, namely to resume negotiations from the point at which they broke off in 1996.

The Syrian source added that the task of the US administration during the current developments is to hold Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak accountable for the results of the recent tour of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

The source said the assertion made by Barak that he will withdraw his forces from Lebanon before July 7, 2000 following an agreement with Lebanon is a proposal that bears "the formula of Lebanon first, the same formula proposed by Netanyahu and which was rejected," noting that Barak is trying to dismember the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, an effort that is doomed to failure.