Syria sees US playing an active role

There was no immediate word when Syrian foreign minister Farouq Al-Shara would return to Damascus, but officials said it was unlikely he would remain behind for long once Barak left.

Neither had been expected to stay in rural West Virginia, where the talks began last Monday, for more than a week.

No formal talks were scheduled for yesterday, the Jewish Sabbath and the Moslem Eid al-Fitr feast, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The land-for-peace negotiations were expected to resume on Sunday.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said on Friday that President Bill Clintonmight return for talks with the principals over the weekend. It would be his fifth visit since the negotiations began.

Israeli sources said an informal meeting of the heads of four working committees had been planned for last night. Syrian sources said it was not certain such a gathering would be held.

Only two of the working groups 8211; on security arrangements after an Israeli pullback from the Golan Heights, and on peaceful relations 8211; have convened. US officials have noted substantive differences between the two sides but not elaborated.

Clinton, running out of time before the expected departure of Barak and Shara, presented a US working paper to both men at a meeting on Friday.The document, detailing areas of agreement and disagreement in talks held in the past and during the current round at Shepherdstown, 105 km west of Washington, is aimed at jump-starting the sluggish talks.

The working paper drew initial praise on Saturday from the Syrian delegation.8220;The Syrian side is studying the document ina positive manner,8221; said one Syrian source, calling it 8220;an advanced step in the negotiating process to reach a formula on points of difference so they can be bridged.8221;

The Syrian sources contended the seven-page paper placed the issue of borders, which Damascus had sought to focus on first, ahead of all others.

An Israeli source said the paper listed Syria8217;s position on Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, but he declined to elaborate. Syria has called for Israel to pull back to the line of June 4, 1967, before the strategic plateau was captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

That line touches the Sea of Galilee, which supplies 30 per cent of Israel8217;s water needs.

The source said the paper did not not show any Israeli-proposed border, in line with Israel8217;s position that the depth of a Golan withdrawal will reflect the scope of security arrangements and peaceful relations.

Syria has long charged that Israel reneged on a pledge to withdraw fully from the Golan. Israeli leaders say no such firmpromise was ever given.

8220;It 8230; will block any retraction by any party from any agreements that might be reached,8221; a Syrian source said about the US-drafted document.

Syrian sources said Clinton8217;s initiative showed the United States was moving beyond a role of honest broker and becoming 8220;an active player8221; in the talks.