As you know, I will be departing this afternoon for Damascus and wanted to say just a few words on a couple of different subjects before I go. Tomorrow, I will join leaders from around the world in expressing condolences to the people of Syria at a time of transition and grief. For three decades, President Hafez al-Assad played a critical role in the Middle East. His passing doesn't alter the compelling logic for all parties to pursue a comprehensive peace, nor America's willingness to work with all parties to achieve that goal.

President Assad made a strategic decision for peace at Madrid in 1991. He could have no better legacy than a settlement that brings lasting stability and steadily rising prosperity to people throughout the region. I note that the United Nations will soon confirm Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon. This will pave the way for the Lebanese Government to reassert its authority in that area and open the door to a new era for that country.

Tomorrow, negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian track will resume here in Washington. The goal is to narrow differences and make further progress towards an agreement on all permanent status issues. The two sides have asked the United States to participate in the talks, and we will do so as appropriate.

As I've said many times, the United States believes that a historic opportunity exists to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The issues are difficult and complex and will take time to resolve, but both Prime Minister Barak and Chairman Arafat understand that this opportunity must not be allowed to slip away. Both are committed to moving ahead step by step and to reaching an agreement as rapidly as possible.

President Clinton and I have made clear that we are prepared to do all we can to help, and we look forward to Chairman Arafat's visit to Washington later this week. As the peace process proceeds, it is critical that no one doubt America's support for those engaged in it. In this connection, I want to make clear that although the United States has real concerns about the proposed Israeli sale of Falcon aircraft to China, and we are discussing the matter with the Israeli Government, we do not believe that linking this issue to our assistance to Israel is the appropriate way to proceed, and we will oppose any effort on Capitol Hill to do so.

On another matter, I want to express my appreciation to the entire Missouri congressional delegation for its bipartisan leadership in gaining approval of a bill to name the Department of State headquarters building in honor of former President Harry S Truman. This is entirely appropriate, for President Truman understood well the importance of effective diplomacy as a complement to America's economic and military strength. During his presidency, the State Department led in founding the United Nations, launching the Marshall Plan, forging NATO, assisting recovery in the Pacific, and providing diplomatic support during the Berlin Airlift and Korean War.

I especially want to congratulate Representatives Ike Skelton and Roy Blunt, who sponsored this legislation in the House, and Senator John Ashcroft, "Kit" Bond and John Warner, who were leaders in the Senate. I look forward to a suitable ceremony in the near future at which we can formally dedicate the Harry S Truman Federal Building.

And let me add in response to this morning's Washington Post, that there will be no period after the "S."

Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, thanks for coming down and talking to us before you take off. I wondered, the President spoke in great praise of President Assad. You did, too. You're going on an arduous trip. You've just been there. There are things going on here that command your attention, and you're going all the way there. It's a pretty high-level delegation.

Isn't there some disconnect here, some dissonance, between U.S. policy on human rights and U.S. policy on terrorism, and all the regard this Administration is paying to President Assad?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think that it is totally appropriate that we pay our respects to a historic figure and that we express our condolences to the people of Syria. There is no question that we need to work with the Syrian leadership in order to accomplish a comprehensive peace.

I think that, as President Clinton said, while we disagreed with President Assad on a number of issues, that the President respected him. I negotiated with him in a number of meetings, and I think that it is appropriate for the United States to be represented by the Secretary of State at this.

QUESTION: May I try a quick follow-up? Do you think you will see the son? And is there a chance you'll see the Iranians to follow up on your initiative toward Tehran?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: We are currently working on the meeting with Dr. Bashar Assad and I expect to, although I think that they are all trying to work out all the details. I have no plans to meet with the Iranians.

QUESTION: The Administration has made it very clear, Madame Secretary, that the ball is in the Syrian court. The late President Assad has passed away without realizing his dream of liberating occupied Syrian territories. The difference was a few hundred yards.

It was reported today, however, that Dr. Bashar Assad, the future expected President of Syria, has said in a meeting with Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, that he will follow in the footsteps of his father.

Madame Secretary, in the light of such a statement, how hopeful are you of a breakthrough on the Syrian track, and do you have any new ideas about these hundred -- few hundred yards?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, first of all, let me say that as both the President and I said in our initial statements, President Assad had taken the strategic decision for peace; and in the various negotiations that we had with him, while we did not arrive at peace, I think there were some positive indications.

When I met with Foreign Minister Shara just now in Cairo, we talked about the fact that the door was open and that we needed to continue to explore the possibilities. I think that it is important for Dr. Bashar Assad to take on the mantle and for the transition process to be pursued. And we will, as I've said -- I will repeat again to whomever I meet there -- that the door is open and we will be exploring.

QUESTION: Any new ideas?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I don't think it's appropriate at this stage.

QUESTION: Yes, Madame Secretary. At this stage, what is the U.S. assessment of the chances of a smooth transition in Syria?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think that, from what we've seen in the last 24 hours, it seems to be smooth and we hope it will continue in that vein. But I think that everything so far that we've seen is that it looks like a peaceful transition; it's important that it be peaceful.

QUESTION: Can I just have a quick follow-up? You said it's important for Bashar to take on the mantle. Does that amount to a U.S. endorsement of Bashar as --

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: No, I think that I meant in terms of following through on what has been happening, that he was named the chief of the armed forces, and that there will be a parliamentary -- this is up to them to decide how they do it.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, President Barak reportedly said over the weekend that he thought it was possible that all the differences between the Israelis and Palestinians won't be worked out by September 13^th, but he hoped that a number of them would. There has been a lot of discussion about the importance to President Clinton of trying to get an agreement while he still is in office.

How much significance do you place on that, and how important is it to you personally to have an agreement during your remaining months?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think it is very important to understand the following thing: The United States is not the one setting the pace here; we are responding to requests to move the process forward, and clearly there are dates that have been set. But the role that we have been playing, and will continue to play, is to assist where we can.

In the meetings that we have had, it has been evident to me and to the President that there are historic opportunities now that need to be followed up on. The pace is basically set by the September 13^th date -- we've said that we've been working off of that -- and by the desire of the parties. Again, to repeat, the United States can help but the parties themselves have to make the hard decisions.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, since the State Department lists Syria as a country that promotes terrorism, state terrorism, is it really appropriate for you to visit this country?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, first of all, not only I but numbers of my predecessors have visited Syria. We are involved in helping a comprehensive peace process. We will continue to do so. I think that it is essential that we continue those kinds of contacts.

QUESTION: Can I just follow up on that?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Yes.

QUESTION: When you go there, will you bring a message about terrorism, and will you bring a message about the lack of civil rights and democracy?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I do that whenever I can. I am not sure that as I'm offering condolences, which is the purpose of a funeral and a memorial service, that that is exactly the time to have that discussion.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, on the plane coming back you told reporters that the time had come when America was prepared to call the "audibles" in the peace process. Could you be more specific about that and tell us about what possible signals you might like to call -- the United States might like to call?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think as I said, that what is happening is the negotiators have arrived today. They will begin their negotiations tomorrow at Andrews and Bolling. We will be participants, as requested. I think that we will be giving our suggestions, but I don't think it's appropriate at this stage to go into detail.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, aside from a comprehensive peace deal between (inaudible) where would you like to see the next leader of Syria -- whether it be Dr. Bashar as expected or someone else -- take the country in any particular direction?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, I think that what is so interesting in reading about Syria in the past years, but especially in the last few days, is the fact that it is very important for Syria to open up. I think that those -- people have been talking about Dr. Bashar Assad's interest in opening and his sense about technology and his interest generally in communications.

I think that it is essential for Syria to be a part of a regional solution in the Middle East that we've all been looking for, a way that the whole region can prosper with Israel as an integral part of it. And that's what I hope will happen.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, any comment on the tragic assassination of the British military attache in Athens? Are you satisfied with the cooperation of the Greek Government to combat terrorism? Are you planning sanctions against Greece?

And the other day, the former CIA Chief James Woolsey in an interview published in Athens said that there are members within the Greek Government who know the assassins but they are doing nothing to arrest them.

Any comment on that?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: First of all, I spoke with Foreign Minister Papandreou earlier this morning, and we spoke about the importance of, first of all, the terrible assassination and how badly we both felt about it, but also the importance of the Greek Government taking action as strongly as possible.

He assured me that the government was very concerned about this, and obviously felt also that from their perspective, not only from the foreigners that are there but from the Greek perspective, that it was important for 17 November group problems to be solved. As I had said earlier, it is not our intention to have sanctions against Greece. We want to work with the Greek Government and be assured by the Greek Government that they are doing what they should be doing.

I have no way of corroborating anything that Mr. Woolsey is saying.

Thank you.