U.S. won't comment on story of Clinton pledge to Assad

WASHINGTON -- The United States is keeping mum in wake of a report that President Bill Clinton told his Syrian counterpart that Israel has pledged to withdraw from the entire Golan Heights.

State Department spokesman James Rubin refused to comment on the report in Monday's Al Hayat daily. The London-based daily published a report by British author Patrick Seale that quoted Clinton as telling Assad in 1995, "As I told you in Damascus, and as I told your foreign minister, I have in my pocket a commitment from Prime Minister Rabin for a full withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 line."

The message was the content of a letter relayed to Assad by State Department envoy Dennis Ross.

In the reported letter, Clinton said the United States would not announce the Israeli commitment and urged Assad to do the same. The letter was relayed to Assad on the eve of negotiations on security arrangements between Israel and Syria in talks headed by their two chiefs of staff.

In Jerusalem, Israeli officials continued to deny that Rabin issued such a commitment. They also expressed doubt that Assad, who is reportedly ill, is prepared to resume negotiations with Israel.

"Patrick Seale is very close to Assad and to others in the Syrian regime," Tourism Minister Amnon Shahak said on Tuesday. "But the person who could renew the talks is Assad himself. I don't see any willingness by Assad to renew the process."

Earlier this month, the State Department said Israel did not issue any commitment for full withdrawal from the Golan.