MESSAGE BOARDS: Mideast peace VIDEO The new government of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has yet to voice a policy on West Bank settlements. CNN's Jerrold Kessel examines the issue. Windows Media 28K 80K

July 19, 1999
Web posted at: 12:49 p.m. EDT (1649 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Syria has told three radical Palestinian groups based in Damascus that it intends to make peace with Israel, and that they should abandon their armed struggle against that country, Palestinian sources told CNN on Monday.

Aides close to Syrian President Hafez Assad met recently in Damascus with representatives of the A-Saeka, PFLP-General Command and the Abu-Moussa groups, which have been actively backed by Syria.

The radical Palestinians, who do not support Yasser Arafat's peace process with Israel, were told that "there is a real chance for peace, and Syria does not mean to miss that opportunity," according to the sources.

The Syrian-aligned groups were also reportedly told that they, and their organizations based in the major Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, need to prepare themselves for "this peace era" and to adapt to the new circumstances by transforming themselves into political parties.

Newly sworn-in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was quoted over the weekend as saying he was prepared for a "painful compromise" with Syria over the Golan Heights, a strip of land Israel seized from Syria 32 years ago.

Barak was to meet with President Bill Clinton Monday afternoon, on the last day of the Israeli leader's five-day U.S. trip to promote Mideast peace and cement Israeli-U.S. relations, strained during the tenure of Barak's predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The two leaders were expected to announce that they would meet regularly until Clinton leaves office in 18 months, to work toward achieving peace for the region.

Clinton was also expected to announce Monday afternoon the first Israeli astronaut will take a NASA flight in 2000.

The Israeli leader returned to Washington on Sunday from a series of meetings with American Jewish leaders in New York, and attended a White House dinner held in his honor.

He was to meet with other senior U.S. officials and leaders of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Monday before going to the White House.

Barak is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London on Wednesday.

Clinton and Barak also met on Thursday when the Israeli leader arrived for the start of his mission.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported Sunday that the United States will give Israel $1.2 billion to help it pay to withdraw troops from the West Bank under the terms of a U.S.-brokered peace deal.

Clinton told Barak that he would release the money promised Netanyahu, the daily Yediot Ahronot said. The proposed financial assistance was frozen after Netanyahu suspended the Wye River peace accord.

Correspondents Jerrold Kessel and John King and Reuters contributed to this report.