By
The Associated Press
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Secretary of State Madeleine Albright sought a promise of help yesterday from Syrian President Bashar Assad in freeing three Israeli soldiers and a reserve colonel kidnapped by the Islamic group Hezbollah.
"He did say he understood that it was important," Albright said as she flew home from the meeting with Assad and Saudi King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah.
Asked if Assad would help, Albright replied: "That was not the impression I got. I can't say I got a firm yes. He understands what I was saying without really responding."
Hezbollah kidnapped three Israeli soldiers Oct. 7 on the Lebanese border. On Sunday, Hezbollah announced it had seized Elchanan Tennenbaum, a 54-year-old reserve Israeli air force colonel, in Switzerland. He works as a consultant in the electronics industry.
Syria plays a dominant role in Lebanon, which is Hezbollah's stronghold.
Albright met for more than two hours with Assad, who was on a two-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, They had spoken briefly in June when Albright went to the funeral of Assad's father, Hafez Assad, in Damascus.
She said Assad described Hezbollah as a growing social force and told her the mood among Arabs "in the street" required great attention.
Albright said she briefed the Syrian president on this week's emergency summit in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, while Assad expressed his concern "with what was happening between Israel and the Palestinians."
The summit is producing results, Albright said, with Israel beginning to redeploy from the Palestinian airport in Gaza and Israeli and Palestinian officials holding meetings in security problems.
"Everyone needs to know this is difficult," Albright said in response to critics who questioned the agreement forged by President Clinton as lacking authority because it was not signed.
"It is not the signing of an agreement that makes the difference. It is what happens on the ground," she said.
"We will have to see what happens," Albright added. "I think we have to take it one step at a time."
