Top US State Department official won't meet with visiting Syrian group
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The State Department is reversing track and turning down a Syrian delegation's request for a meeting with a top US diplomat for the Middle East.
State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said Wednesday that Assistant Secretary of State David Welch would not meet the delegation. Earlier, the United States had said that Welch would schedule a meeting if requested.
The delegation includes an adviser to Syrian Prime Minister Naji Otari. But a Syrian government official involved in negotiations with Israel canceled his visit.