
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, September 12, 1993                   TAG: 9309120118
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: HOUSTON                                LENGTH: Medium

CLINTON OFFERS AID FOR PEACE

President Clinton on Saturday promised the Israeli public the unflinching support of the United States in an effort not only to make Israelis comfortable about striking a deal with Yasser Arafat but also to obtain their backing for a future peace accord with Syria.

In his first interview since the breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East, Clinton said that King Fahd of Saudi Arabia had told him in a telephone conversation Friday that, despite the Saudis' lingering wrath over Palestinian support for Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, they would be ready to contribute funds and raise money from the other Arab nations of the Persian Gulf to ensure that the new Palestinian entities in the Gaza Strip and Jericho get on their feet.

Clinton said he expected the American economic contributions to be modest. He said he saw Washington's job as providing seed money, while most of the aid would be contributed by Japan, the European Community, Scandinavia and the gulf Arabs - all of whom have given him indications of support.

Early Saturday, aboard Air Force One on his way to Houston, the president alternated between expressions of amazement at what was happening in the Middle East, analyzing the different actors almost as though he were watching the most unusual play, and pragmatic discussions of his strategic plans that underscored the central role he feels he too must perform if the whole thing is to work.

"I think even some of the leaders are still adjusting to it," Clinton said, explaining that he was not the only one stunned by the recent events. Recounting his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel on Friday, Clinton quoted him as saying to him: " `Can you believe, Mr. President, that I am signing this letter to Yasser Arafat? I fought him for decades.' "

Asked how he felt about playing host to Arafat, the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, at the White House, Clinton said: "I guess I sort of feel the way Rabin does. I never thought I would be in this position, but then I never thought Arafat would be doing what he is doing."

Among the other points made by Clinton:

President Hafez al-Assad of Syria is ready to endorse the accord between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization but had cautioned Clinton in their telephone call that it could not stand alone, and had to be followed up by a breakthrough on the Syrian-Israeli track.

Clinton's administration still opposes the creation of an independent Palestinian state, but his view is that Israelis and Palestinians should decide such issues and that his policies will be strongly influenced by what they decide.

Clinton hopes Iran will use the Middle East breakthrough not to isolate itself further by opposing it, but to "change course" and thereby create the possibility of a different relationship with Washington and the West.

by CNB