U.S. determines Syria still aiding terrorist groups

JERUSALEM [MENL] -- The United States has been disappointed with Syria's failure to follow up on signals that it would expel terrorist groups based in Damascus.

U.S. officials acknowledge that any Syrian plan to expel at least a dozen terrorist groups from Damascus in an effort to improve relations with Washington has been shelved. They attribute this largely to the preoccupation by Syrian President Hafez Assad to his failing health as well as the struggle to ensure that his son is groomed as heir.

U.S. officials said that in September Damascus asked that the terrorist groups based in Damascus turn into political movements. Palestinian opposition sources have confirmed this but stressed that Assad suggested rather than demanded such a change.

On Friday, the Israeli daily, Haaretz, said the United States has told Israel that Syria remains "deeply involved in assisting terrorist organizations" and will remain on the State Department list of terrorist nation sponsors. The newspaper said the warnings of Syrian-sponsored terrorism is in contrast to the Clinton administration's conciliatory position toward Damascus.

The U.S. message to Israel that Syria would remain on the State Department list would restrict U.S. diplomatic and economic ties with countries that help terrorists. Sheehan said Syria would remain on the list of terrorist sponsors as long as Damascus continues to harbor terrorists.

Israeli officials said the lack of progress in removing terrorist groups from Syria stems from the Assad's illness. They said the illness of Assad as well as that of his foreign minister, Farouk A-Shaara has halted efforts to renew peace talks between Israel and Syria.

Officials quoted French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine as saying he is less optimisic than ever that the negotiations will resume. They quoted Vedrine as saying that Shaara, despite his release from the hospital after a heart attack, has felt ill and is now resting at home.

Vedrine, who met Assad earlier this month in November, was quoted as saying that Assad can not work for more than two hours a day. The assertion confirmed previous reports that although Assad continues to govern, he is too ill to launch any diplomatic initiatives.

On Thursday, the Lebanese Daily Star reported that Syria and Israel are conducting negotiations through a third party and they are expected to resume peace talks within the next few weeks. The newspaper quoted an Arab source as saying that the peace talks were proceeding and that the official version of the stalled peace talks was only a "smokescreen."

The source said the main obstacle delaying progress was Shaara's health and that both U.S. President Bill Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak are determined to achieve peace with Syria and the Palestinians before Clinton leaves office in January 2001.

The reports come as Syria is expected to benefit from increased oil revenues during the year 2000. Syria oil production has averaging an estimated 650,000 barrels per day in 1999, compared with 570,000 barrels per day in 1997, the government newspaper Tishrin reported.

Tishrin also said that Syria's gas production, currently estimated at 12.5 million cubic meters, is expected to reach 18.2 million cubic meters a day in 2001 when new gas plants are completed.