Papandreou, Assad Confer on Terrorism

Syrian President Hafez Assad, who says his country is a victim and not a sponsor of terrorism, discussed political violence Tuesday during a four-hour meeting with Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou.

Assad, on the second day of a three-day official visit, ignored reporters’ questions as he left the Maximos Mansion in downtown Athens after the meeting.

The Greek leader, however, told reporters that the “very friendly” talks covered “all the problems of the eastern Mediterranean region.”

Papandreou has criticized Western efforts to brand Libya and other countries as sponsors of terrorism. Asked if his talks with Assad included discussion of terrorist attacks, he replied: “We couldn’t not talk about terrorism. It’s an everyday occurrence.”

The U.S. government has blamed some terrorist attacks, including the Dec. 27 raids at the Rome and Vienna airports, on the Palestinian extremist group led by Abu Nidal. U.S. officials say Abu Nidal is supported by Libya and Syria.

Rare Western Visit

Western diplomatic sources and Greek newspapers say that Assad’s visit--his first to a Western country since 1978--is intended to counter claims that his country instigated recent terror attacks in Europe and to convince Western Europe that Syria is a target of terrorism and military threats from Israel and the United States.

Italian newspapers reported last weekend that investigators were preparing indictments against 20 Syrians in connection with the Rome attack.

But in a nationally televised speech Monday, the 55-year-old Syrian president, who seized power in a 1970 military coup, contended that his government opposes terrorism “because we have suffered from it.” However, he said Syria distinguishes between terrorism and “national resistance against colonialism.”

Right-wing Greek newspapers opposed to Papandreou’s Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement complained that Assad’s visit would complicate relations with the United States and Western Europe and drag Greece into the generations-old Middle East crisis.