***Washington seems convinced that Syria indeed plays a key role in attaining peace in the Middle East

Diplomatic ties between the United States and Syria have Improved considerably under the Clinton administration, which has committed .to work for a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East peace problem.

Washington seems convinced that Syria indeed plays a key role in attaining peace in the region and that its intentions in this endeavour are genuine.

US-Syrian ties were markedly strained during the Reagan administration.

Former President Ronald Reagan wgs the only American head of state who did not meet with Syrian President Hafez Assad during the past 23 years that the latter has been in office.

President Bill Clinton and President Assad met early this year in Geneva to explore avenues to improve diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Prior to this meeting, President Assad promised to cooperate with a US congressional team in probing the fate of Israeli soldiers missing in Lebanon since the early '80s and to grant exit visas to Syrian Jews wishing to leave the country.

Syria would like to see its name removed from the US State Department's list of countries that support terrorism and to have American economic sanctions lifted.

But Presidents Clinton and Assad disagree on the issue of

terrorism, particularly on the definition of who are to be

• considered as terrorists.

Those who struggle to liberate their lands from foreign occupation (Palestinians, Lebanese and others) cannot be called terrorists,'' Mr. Assad has declared. "They are freedom fighters."

President Clinton, earlier, received appeals from Arab. European and US human rights groups to press the Syrian leader to free about 15 human rights activists de tained in Syria.

The Syrian leader had similar summit meetings with three other American presidents.

Each of them dealt with critical issues affecting Syrian-US relatione. The meetings have led to a relaxation of tension in the region.

The first summit was held on June 16. 1974 in Damascus between President Assad and President Richard Nixon a few months after the Middle East war of-October 1973.

The two leaders agreed to resume US-Syrian relations which were severed following the six-day Middle East war of 1967.

On May 9. 1977. President Assad and President Jimmy Carter held another summit in Geneva. It came a year after the deployment of Syrian troops in Lebanon at the request of the late Lebanese President Suleiman Franjieh and alter a visit by Mr Assad to Moscow.

The third summit was held

in Geneva on Nov. 23, 1990 between President Assad and Presiddht George Bush. The two leaders agreed to take Joint action to force Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

It was followed by American moves to launch the Middle East peace process, which was opened in Madrid in October 1991 and attended by Syria, other Arab countries. Palestine and Israel.

Peace negotiations between Syria and Israel have long been deadlocked over the latter s occupation of South Lebanon and its withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

But US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who weni to the region early this month to help break the impasse in the peace talks, told The New York Times" that Syria and Israel have achieved great strides towards this direction.

Mr Christopher was quoted as saying: "Up to this last trip, there was a psychological barrier. I believe they've broken through, discussing the concrete elements, the nature of peace, withdrawal, security."

Syria’s principal demand has always been for a full and immediate Israeli withdrawal. But Israel insists on a prior bilateral peace agreement and security guarantees before its withdrawal.

With such a long history of distrust and suspicion, the two sides have found it increasingly difficult to break the stalemate.

The root of the problem Ues in Israel's occupation of South Lebanon after the 1982 invasion of Beirut and its establishment of a self-proclaimed security zone.

Syria, with the most powerful Arab army In the region, has 4.000 troops deployed in the Bekka Valley in Eastern Lebanon in accordance with the Saudi-Arabian sponsored Taif Agreement.

Israel has declared it would only withdraw from South

Lebanon once the Lebanese government had redeployed its own troops to disarm the-Hezbollah guerillas.

However, both t)ie Syrians and the Lebanese have agreed that armed resistance in South Lebanon is legal as long as Israeli occupation persists.

Beirut and Damascus insist that withdrawal must come first before any redeployment of Lebanese troops.

Lebanon and Iran are regarded as Syria's closest allies In the region. As the main power broker in Lebanon. Syria has an estimated 35,000 ' troops deployed in Lebanese territory.

During his stay in Damascus. Iranian Vice President Hassan Habibi conferred with leaders of the 10 Palestinian radical groups opposed to Palestine Lil>eration

Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat's peace deal with Israel. .

Mr Habibi affirmed Iran * continue^! support for efforts to oppose the deal.

The country offered to increase funding, especially to the Palestinian radical groups. Without such a sponsor, opposition to the PLO-Israel peace deal would remain mere rhetoric.

Syria and Iran have coordi-nated their support for the Palestinian radicals. Syria would provide them with freedom of action on the political and Information levels, while Iran would provide them with funds.

Another sponsor of the opposition move of Palestinian groups is Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi.

— Depthnews /Asia