can reassure you that we believe there must be movement in the Middle East and in your negotiations with Israel. It will be one of the major steps to work for further movement in the Middle East.
Kissinger: But you won't send me to negotiate with Syrians again?
President: He did such a great job under such difficult circumstances that he is not replaceable.
Khaddam: I think he played a key role under difficult circumstances. No other U.S. official could have done so much in so short a time and acquired the friendship of the Syrian people.
President: I can say this better than Kissinger: He has great affection for President Asad and Syria.
Khaddam: We know this. We know the relationship between Dr. Kissinger and President Asad and Dr. Kissinger and other Arab leaders is an important factor in achieving progress.
We hope your Administration will be one where there will be great progress in relations with the Arab world. Your messages were received warmly and made a good impression. We wonder why there were bad relations in the past. We know the present state of relations is new, and the U.S. leaders' understanding of the situation of the Arabs and willingness to remove the causes of misunderstanding is very helpful.
President: This new relationship is good, and if we are to build on it, it must be done in an atmosphere of peace. War is destructive of good relationships -- we can advance only with peace.
Khaddam: The U.S. has made contacts with all the Arabs and found in each a genuine desire for peace. The problem is not with the Arabs, but with Israel, and its obstinate refusal to accept any of the UN resolutions. For example, we signed a disengagement agreement and we have abided by it. Israel has violated many provisions which I want to discuss with Dr. Kissinger. Israel didn't withdraw from Quinetra before she destroyed it -- not with bombs but bulldozers. Israel is making provocative remarks about Syria's receiving Soviet arms. We would be pleased if we had the tops in arms, but it is not so. The U.S. knows what we have been getting. Their interest in bringing about problems between the U.S. and Soviet Union and Syria worries us.
SECRET/NODIS
