Road Transport-Learning to Live with Policies

non as a territory for their military operations against Israel as well as a cushion against the machinations of several Arab states, each one trying to .bring it under its own control, is a major setback for the PLO. PLO's military survival depends now on Syrian goodwill, The PLO's recent emphasis on diplomacy was apparently the result of this realisation. With the lull on the diplomatic front, the PLO leadership has come under increasing Syrian pressure. Syria lias opposed PLO's diplomatic initiatives and has openly expressed doubts about Arafat's leadership. It was therefore only to be expected that PLO would formally oppose the pact. And yet if Syrian withdrawal is somehow secured after providing them with major political gains, the PLO stands to gain in the long run as this would once again bring diplomacy to the forefront.