Word: assad
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...problems in dealing with the Syrians on the withdrawal issue is that they have been giving mixed diplomatic signals for some time. Syrian President Hafez Assad has consistently denounced the Lebanese-Israeli agreement, but at the same time he has hinted to Washington that he would welcome talks with U.S. negotiators, though not with U.S. Special Envoy Philip Habib. He would probably like to meet directly with Secretary of State George Shultz, who believes that preliminary discussions should be conducted by lower-ranking officials. Some U.S. experts on the Middle East feel that if the Syrians are really ready...
...could be broken. Syria's decision to end its four-day-long maneuvers in Lebanon defused some of the military tension, but a war of bellicose rhetoric continued. Arriving in Libya for a meeting with his hard-line colleague Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Syrian President Hafez Assad declared that the U.S.-sponsored agreement for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon was "in a state of collapse and death." Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin warned that if the Syrians attacked Israel, "we shall all have to defend our lives, our existence and our future...
...wholly sovereign and independent state, however unrealistic that goal may be. They in effect vetoed Arafat's attempts to reach an agreement with Hussein that would have allowed the Jordanian King to pursue the Reagan initiative in alliance with the Palestinians. The dissidents were actively encouraged by Assad and Gaddafi, who are opposed to Arafat's efforts toward moderation. They believe the Arabs must not negotiate with the Jerusalem government until their military strength is as great as that of Israel...
...dramatized the weakened condition of the P.L.O. in the wake of its expulsion from Beirut last year by Israeli forces, particularly the organization's susceptibility to pressure from Syria and several other hard-line Arab countries. Despite a tepid rapprochement between Arafat and Syrian President Hafez Assad, Syria appears to be intent on controlling the P.L.O. and will not hesitate to try to undermine Arafat's authority in the process...
...face of such concerted Syrian opposition, President Gemayel urged Secretary of State Shultz to return to the Middle East immediately for a round of face-to-face talks with Syrian President Assad. But Shultz took the position that some time would have to pass before the Syrians would be prepared to negotiate in earnest. In the meantime, U.S. diplomats emphasized that they did not consider the latest Syrian rebuffs "a final closing of the door." They noted that only two Arab states, Libya and South Yemen, have joined Syria in denouncing the agreement, while Egypt and Algeria have expressed their...