Syrian-Israeli talks, officially suspended in February 1994, were reported by senior U.S. officials on 12/30 to have continued in about 24 secret, high-level meetings in Washington over the past six months. The first publicly acknowledged meeting since the suspension was held in Washington on 12/9 in the presence of U.S. Special Middle East Coordinator Dennis Ross, paving the way for the first official Syrian-Israeli talks since the suspension that began in Washington on 12/22. These talks, soon joined by military chiefs of staff, ended on 12/25 without progress, with Pres. al-Asad reportedly "overwhelmed by what he considered Israel's inflexibility during the military talks" (NYT, 3/15). Pres. al-Asad recalled his ambassador to the U.S., Walid Mu'allim, effectively suspending the talks once again.
Quarterly Updates for (16 Nov 1994 — 15 Feb 1995)