With Vaunted Stamina, Assad Sits Out Rest Breaks

When it comes to one-on-one diplomacy, Syrian President Hafez Assad is a man famous for his physical stamina, particularly his ability to sit at the negotiating table for so long without taking a break that he seems to defy the laws of human physiology.

In Geneva, the U.S. team was determined to match his prowess, but, alas, President Clinton failed the test. The first negotiating session ran from 10:08 a.m. to 2:26 p.m.; Clinton had to excuse himself briefly at 1:45 p.m.--after only 3 hours and 37 minutes.

Afterward, at a joint press appearance with Assad, Clinton praised the Syrian leader not only for his positive contribution to the Middle East peace process but for his endurance. “I had heard a lot about President Assad’s legendary stamina in these meetings,” Clinton said, drawing a burst of knowing laughter. “I can tell you that his reputation does not exceed the reality.”

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Weighty affairs of state are the reason summit meetings exist, of course, but every summit caravan has lesser purposes as well--not the least among them shopping.

The appetite for bargains and mementos among the several hundred aides, technicians and others who accompany the President on such trips is voracious. So voracious that the pocket-size guidebooks issued by the government at every stop include not only guidance on local water supplies and medical emergencies but tips on where to shop and what to look for.

On the Clinton trip to Eastern Europe and Moscow, Russia’s famed fur hats were high on the list of sought-after items. Eager buyers scouted them out in the Czech capital of Prague, in Moscow and even in the relatively barren bazaars of Minsk, in Belarus.

By Sunday evening, the most distinctive thing about the treasured hats was that some were developing an ominous smell. The problem, it seems, was that newly minted entrepreneurs had moved a tad too quickly to meet the surge in demand--omitting the more time-consuming steps in the tanning process.

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Meanwhile, back in Moscow, post-summit analysts were pondering the latest additions to the rowdy dossier of Russian ultranationalist Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky.

As part of the arrangements for a network interview, Zhirinovsky and his supporters were provided with a hotel suite. They promptly ordered up $4,200 worth of room service.

And they were reportedly seen leaving the hotel with some of the furniture.