Syrian President Bashar Assad received a high-ranking American delegation, led by Virginia Senator John Rockefeller in Damascus on Monday, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
The U.S. Senator heads the Security Committee of the U.S. Senate and is currently in charge of the Senate's Near East and Asian affairs. The two sides exchanged opinions about the aftermath of the September 11 events in the United States and agreed that international cooperation is necessary in order to uproot international terrorism.
President Assad stressed that in fighting against terrorism, it is necessary to rely on realistic analyses and find the “exact roots” of the problem. He also highlighted that terrorism has nothing to do with authentic Islamic teachings and therefore those who have attributed it to Islam, have gone wrong.
Senator Rockefeller, in return, expressed his joy over finding the opportunity to talk with the Syrian President on matters of mutual interest. He pointed out, that he felt a lot more at ease about the regional developments after exchanging political viewpoints with the Syrian President. He said that the Americans ought to obtain a much deeper understanding about different cultures and civilizations before judging their conduct.
Also present at the meeting were the Syrian Prime Minister and Foreign Minster Farouq al-Shara and the Arab-U.S. Ambassador to Damascus, Theodore Qatouf.
According to Syrian sources, five other American political delegations are due to arrive in Damascus during the month. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
