Assad: "I Am Not Pessimistic

In Damascus last week, Time Inc. Editor-in-Chief Hedley Donovan had a two-hour interview with Syrian President Hafez Assad. It was the first that Assad had ever given to an American journalist. Donovan's report:

Hafez Assad is not exactly a household name in America. But this 45-year-old air force commander, now President of Syria, has rather suddenly become a factor in world politics. He is waited upon by U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, and he does his own shuttling to other Arab capitals. His international importance could be short-lived. But at this particular turn in the long torment of the Middle East, there is no question that Assad and Syria have the power to hasten a peace settlement significantly or send everybody back to stalemate.

Syria has been an unwavering hardliner in its fear and hatred of Israeli "imperialism," its championing of the cause of the Palestinian Arabs, and its indignation over U.S. Middle Eastern policy. But in his interview, Assad showed some "give" here and there. Just a little.

The President is a rugged man with a grave and gentle conversational style. There is an utterly calm and somewhat pedantic quality in his harshest comments on Zionism, Israeli aggressiveness and U.S. foreign policy, and these little lectures consumed at least half of the interview. Assad's views on substantive issues:

THE U.S. Despite the misguided American "political stance" in the past, the present U.S. role in Middle East negotiations is "useful" and obviously was important in bringing about disengagement in Egypt.

SYRIA-ISRAEL DISENGAGEMENT. No progress yet, "but efforts are being made. We must always be optimistic. It pushes us forward to further efforts."

THE SYRIAN-ISRAELI BORDER. The 1967 line must be restored. "Golda Meir said that the Golan Heights are an integral part of Israel. Does one who makes such a statement really seek peace? Can there ever be peace when the territories of others are annexed by force?"

Would Assad accept demilitarization of the Golan Heights? This would be "a limitation of our sovereignty over our own land." As "a temporary measure," it might be acceptable if there were demilitarization of an equal zone on the Israeli side of the border.

But any nation that wants "totally secure" borders can have them only at the expense of its neighbors. And anyway, "there are no secure borders in this time of jets, rockets, etc." Even if there were, is it Israel that needs secure borders against Syria or "we against them?"

The future of the Palestinian Arabs now living under Israeli military occupation (there are 700,000 on the West Bank of the Jordan and close to 400,000 in the Gaza Strip, plus perhaps 1 million more inside and outside refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan) has been the most intractable of the Middle East disputes. Syria has given strident sympathy to the "liberation" groups that would dismantle Israel as a Jewish state and establish a binational, secular Palestine, and Syria has seldom condemned terrorist actions. Asks Assad: "How could we persuade the dispossessed people they should be content to keep silence and not disturb the world?"

How does Syria view the talk of a compromise that would set up an autonomous, demilitarized Palestinian homeland confined to the West Bank and Gaza? " There are several ideas around. That is one of them."

The overall chances for peace? "I am not pessimistic."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.