U.S. Sees Limited Progress in Middle East Diplomatic Efforts

The State Department cautioned Saturday that only “incremental” progress is being made in Mideast peace efforts and that “no major breakthroughs should be expected” despite published reports claiming such accomplishments.

The department’s statement, read by spokeswoman Anita Stockman in response to inquiries, appeared to politely contradict Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who told a news conference in London on Friday that Jordan’s King Hussein intended to pursue peace talks with Israel regardless of key Arab opposition.

In particular, Peres said that he had been assured by Assistant Secretary of State Richard W. Murphy, after Murphy’s intensive week of talks with both Peres and Hussein in Europe, that Hussein intended to go forward with peace talks even if Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization continue to withhold their approval.

“What I understood” from Murphy, Peres said, “is that the king has decided to go on, no matter what sort of replies he may have in the future.”

But after his return here Friday, Murphy indicated that although “intensive efforts” were made during his talks with Peres and Hussein, the two major outstanding issues remain, Stockman said. These two issues are the nature of Palestinian participation in peace talks, and the format and “international context” of those talks, she said.

The thrust of the State Department statement Saturday was that Hussein has not yet promised to go it alone, although that point was not explicitly made in the spokeswoman’s remarks.

“We have unfailingly pointed out that we are engaged in a process in which progress, while it is being achieved, will be incremental,” she said. “No major breakthroughs should be expected although we continue to move in the right direction.”

“The nature of the Palestinian representation and the role of other countries such as Syria are the primary issues on which we are working,” she added. “While views are converging, we have no specifics to offer you on the stance of any of the parties.

“For our part, we have noted previously our hope that all parties in the dispute, including Syria, will recognize the opportunity inherent in the current peace process and elect to participate constructively,” she said, appearing to single out the Damascus government for dragging its feet.