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SV INTERIOR: Arafat and Assad seated PAN TO other officials.
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Initials RH/1540



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Background: President Hafez al-Assad of Syria met leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organisation on Saturday to review the latest moves in the search for peace in the Middle East.

SYNOPSIS: PLO chief Yasser Arafat headed the delegation which discussed with President Assad the latest moves and contacts over the Middle East situation. The PLO leaders at the meeting were all members of the Organisation's executive committee..... they had just completed an eight-hour meeting of their own before going in to talk with the President. One subject discussed during the meeting was ways of doubling efforts to face what they regard as impending dangers to the Arab cause from the Egyptian-Israeli peace moves. Syria is opposed to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's current contacts with Israel and has taken no part in the Cairo preparatory peace talks.