ISRAEL, SYRIA BACK ON ROAD TO PEACE

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After some manic diplomatic footwork this morning in the Mideast, Secretary of State Warren Christopher declared that Israel and its longtime archrival, Syria, soon will resume peace talks in Washington that could lead to a binding treaty this year. "There were some difficulties," said Christopher, visibly tired after hours of last-minute, back-to-back meetings with Rabin in Jerusalem and Syrian President Hafez Assad in Damascus. TIME State Department correspondent J.F.O. McAllister, who is travelling with Christopher, says the hitch -- concerning the security arrangements for a possible Israeli withdrawal from the disputed Golan Heights -- arose from cold feet and domestic qualms about peace in both countries. "When you get involved in these issues of such vital national security, every phrase gets dissected," McAllister says.