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GV Flags with Damascus University auditorium in background
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SV & CU Youth band playing (2 shots)
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SV Banners denouncing Sinai agreement (2 shots)
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SV INTERIOR President Assad waving to crowd
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CU Audience
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SV Assad receiving bouquet of flowers
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SCU Audience listening to Assad speech
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SV & GV Assad speaking (2 shots)
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Initials 1030/1145/1629



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Syrian President Hafez Al Assad launched a strong attack on the recent Sinai agreement between Israel and Egypt at a mass rally in Damascus on Monday (6 October), on the second anniversary of the October Arab-Israeli War. President Assad said Syria completely differed with Egypt over the agreement.

President Assad told his audience that Syria would not hold talks on disengagement on the Golan Heights unless talks with the Palestine Liberation Organisation were held at the same time.

However, President Assad was not optimistic about the possibility of such talks between Israel and the Palestinians. He said that he knew in advance that Israel had already rejected the idea. And, he claimed, so had the United States.

President Assad accused Israel of trying to "smudge the Palestine cause", adding that it had not recognised Palestinian rights. Palestinian Arabs were concerned because of the current Arab attitude, particularly after the Sinai agreement.

SYNOPSIS: Damascus with flags out for the second anniversary of the October Arab-Israeli War. The event was marked by a mass rally where President Assad delivered a strong attack against the recent Sinai peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. President Assad said that Syria completely differed with Egypt over the agreement.

President Assad told his audience that Syria would not hold talks on disengagement on the Golan Heights unless talks with the Palestine Liberation Organisation were held at the same time. However, the President was not optimistic about that possibility.

President Assad said that he knew in advance that Israel had already rejected the idea. And, President Assad claimed, so had the United States. He accused Israel of trying to extinguish the Palestinian cause, adding that Israel had not recognised Palestinian rights.

President Assad said that the Palestinian Arabs were concerned because of current Arab attitudes, particularly after the Sinai agreement. The President called the agreement a major tragedy for the Arab cause against Israel.