The State Department has chosen not to react to the apparent retreat by Damascus from Syrian President Hafez Assad’s statement that he would sign a formal peace treaty with Israel if certain conditions were fulfilled, That statement, contained in a Newsweek magazine interview with Assad, was hailed by Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger at his press conference here Tuesday as “a major step forward” by Syria and an indication of its changed attitude toward a Middle East peace settlement.
But a statement put out in Arabic yesterday by the director of President Assad’s press office in Damascus said that the report of the Newsweek interview “does not truly reflect its contents, particularly concerning the question of a peace treaty.” Asked to comment on Damascus’ back-tracking, State Department spokesman Robert Anderson said he had not seen the Damascus statement. He repeated, however, that any willingness to sign a peace treaty is a major step.
The brief statement by Assad’s press aide did not specify what may have been misquoted from the Newsweek interview which has not been published in Arabic. Sources here believe that the Assad interview was intended for American consumption and today’s disclaimer was prompted by Kissinger’s upbeat reaction to it.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for Kissinger’s return trip to the Middle East next month, State Department sources said the Secretary will probably begin his Mideast Junket in Aswan, Egypt on March 7. He leaves Washington on March 5 for Cardiff, Wales, on a ceremonial visit.
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