On the Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa left Damascus on Monday afternoon for Washington, which he will reach this afternoon after he spent the night in London.
The Syrian sources did not deny or confirm the participation of the Syrian ambassador in Washington Walid al-Mu'allim in the negotiations.
Well-informed Syrian sources stressed that talks about a large Syrian political and security and military delegation are baseless.
Meanwhile, Western diplomatic sources in Damascus said that al-Sharaa's talks on Damascus' preference to keep the negotiations in Washington are because of the "Syrian desire to keep on good terms with Egypt," whose foreign minister, Amr Moussa, visited Damascus on Sunday to discuss the transfer of the venue of the negotiations to the region, in that the venue proposed for continuing the negotiations is Amman, a matter which places Egypt "outside any frame in relation to the Syrian track," as well as to discuss the future of the Palestinian track, "the main reason behind the coolness between Damascus and Cairo."
The sources said that Damascus agreed to transfer the negotiations after the American cosponsor vowed to continue supervision on these negotiations and to ensure its results, in that Syria does not want, at any rate the transfer of negotiations to Amman to affect relations with Egypt.
Further news reports say that Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa seeks to avoid "shaking hands" openly with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak tomorrow, while the Israeli and American sides are persistent on such a handshake.
Well-informed diplomatic sources in Washington expected on Monday that US President Bill Clinton will meet Barak and al-Sharaa separately and will try to convince the Syrian foreign minister to accept an open handshake in front of reporters before the Syrian and Israeli officials head for the Blair House to complete discussions on the principles of the peace agreement on the grounds of what was achieved in the previous negotiations.
Diplomats also expected that al-Sharaa and Barak will hold a press conference at the conclusion of the talks to which all journalists, including Israelis, will be invited and Barak will do the same.
Retired Lt. Gen. Youssef Shakkour and Syria's representative at the UN Mikhael Wahbah joined the negotiating delegation accompanying Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa.
On his plane for Washington al-Sharaa was accompanied by retired Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Omar, who led the reconnaissance system at the Syrian army, and legal advisor Dr. Riyadh al-Dawoudi.
Today, the term of the Syrian ambassador in Washington, Walid al-Mu'allim, ends, and he is expected to leave Washington after one week.
Al-Sharaa will be also accompanied by the director of the minister's office, Samir Qasir; translator Butheina Shaaban; and two official media figures-- the director general of SANA, Fayez Sayegh, and the director general of the Syrian TV, Safwan Ghanem.
