Shultz Repacks Bag, Heads for Mideast

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State George P. Shultz, barely pausing to catch his breath and pack a fresh shirt, headed to the Middle East today with admittedly little chance of setting up Arab-Israeli negotiations.

Before departing for Jerusalem, Shultz added Syria to his itinerary despite U.S. sanctions against a country the State Department has condemned as a supporter of terrorism.

“When we have an issue to address we’re going to address it in the most effective way we can,” department spokesman Charles E. Redman said. He called Syria “one of the key players in the region.”