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US tells Syria to co-operate or risk conflict
From Tim Reid in Washington
# Bush accuses Damascus of developing chemical weapons
PRESIDENT BUSH yesterday accused Syria of having chemical weapons. In the clearest sign yet that Washington is turning its sights on Damascus’ links to terrorism, two of his most senior Cabinet members also warned the country against harbouring Iraqi officials.
Mr Bush told Syria that it “must co-operate” with Washington as it continues its effort to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.
He also repeated earlier warnings from Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, and Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, that Damascus must not harbour fleeing members of Saddam’s regime.
“We believe there are chemical weapons in Syria,” Mr Bush said. “We expect co-operation and I’m hopeful that we will receive co-operation.”
He did not threaten Syria with military action, but told it, along with Iran and North Korea — who, with Iraq, form his “axis of evil” — that the example of Iraq shows “we’re serious about stopping weapons of mass destruction”.
General Tommy Franks, commander of coalition troops in Iraq, said that it could take a year to search every site in Iraq where weapons of mass destruction might be hidden. He said that up to 3,000 locations are earmarked for visits which are progressing at the rate of five to 15 a day. He added that Syrian fighters had joined Iraqi soldiers to fight inside Iraq.
US Intelligence has given warnings that Damascus has a nascent chemical and biological weapons programme, but the accusation has never before been made publicly by the Bush Administration.
Imad Moustaphi, Syria’s deputy ambassador to the US, denied the claims, calling them “a campaign of disinformation” to distract attention from civil disorder in Iraq.
However the accusation, coming from the President himself, marks a significant increase in Washington’s aggressive rhetoric toward the regime of President Assad.
Mr Rumsfeld, who last month accused Syria of channelling military equipment including night-vision goggles to Iraq, said yesterday: “Being on the terrorist list is not some place I’d want to be. The (Syrian Government is making a lot of bad mistakes, a lot of bad judgment calls, in my view, and they’re associating with the wrong people.”
He added that there was “no question” that some senior Iraqi leaders had fled to Syria.
His comments came as the Pentagon announced that a half-brother of Saddam, Watban Ibrahim Hassan, had been captured in northern Iraq, apparently trying to reach Syria.
Watban, apprehended near the northern city of Mosul, was the “five of spades” in the Americans’ 55-name most wanted list, issued in the form of a deck of cards.
General Franks also said that several senior members of the regime had been captured in western Iraq. Meanwhile Yemen granted political asylum to Mohsen Khalil, Iraq’s permanent ambassador to the Arab League in Cairo.
General Powell also told Syria not to offer shelter to Iraqi officials fleeing Baghdad.
He said: “We think it would be very unwise if suddenly Syria becomes a haven for all these people who should be brought to justice who are trying to get out of Baghdad. Syria has been a concern for a long period of time. We have designated Syria for years as a state sponsor of terrorism.”
The US stance towards Syria has become markedly more aggressive since the start of the Iraqi campaign. Yesterday’s comments were Washington’s latest move to increase the pressure on Damascus, which also gives shelter to the leaders of the Palestinian groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
The rhetoric is part of a new phase of muscular US diplomacy in the region which has been given added force by the demonstration of US military might in Iraq. But the targeting of Damascus has raised fears that Washington plans to turn its attention to a military assault on Syria.
However it is unlikely that the Administration would entertain the idea of another pre-emptive military campaign so soon, particularly with a presidential election next year.
There is also recognition in Washington that military action against Syria, or even the overt threat of it, would confirm fears that the US is intent on subjugating the Arab world.
President Assad has voiced concern that Syria is next on the US “war on terrorism” list.
The White House and the State Department have denied that President Bush plans any more “regime changes” in the region. But Washington hopes to use the leverage gained from its overwhelming military victory to exert uncompromising diplomatic and economic pressure on regimes to change their behaviour.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-645911,00.html
Syrian FM says if U.S. attacks, Israel will also suffer as a resultBy Daniel Sobelman and Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk a-Shara said Sunday that if the United States decides to attack Syria, Israel will also be harmed as a result.
Shara also rejected claims that Syria was providing shelter to senior Iraqi leaders, and said that the Americans "know well that these accusations have no basis." According to the Syrian foreign minister, Syria is not taking the American "threats" seriously, which "don't reflect the general feeling in the U.S." He estimated that U.S. accusations against Syria were based on false information provided by Israel.
Shara's comments came after U.S. President George W. Bush on Sunday repeated warnings to Syria that it must cooperate with Washington and not harbor Iraqi leaders who may flee across their common border.
"Syria just needs to cooperate with the United States and our coalition partners, not harbor any (Iraqi) Baathists, any military officials, any people who need to be held to account," Bush told reporters.
Bush also contended that Syria, Iraq's northwestern neighbor, has chemical weapons, a charge made in recent CIA reports and one denied by Syria.
"We believe there are chemical weapons in Syria," the president said.
He warned Syria, Iran and North Korea that Iraq's example shows "we're serious about stopping weapons of mass destruction." Bush had called Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil."
Asked whether Syria could face military action if it does not turn over Iraqi leaders, Bush said: "They just need to cooperate."
Bush said he might contact Syrian leaders on Sunday to make clear his warning.
Syria's deputy ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, denied that his country was harboring escaped Iraqis. He said it was the responsibility of U.S. troops to monitor Iraq's border with Syria.
Rumsfeld: Syrian fighters killed or captured by U.S. forces in Iraq
Earlier in the day, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld charged on Sunday that Syrian fighters had been killed or captured by U.S. forces in Iraq, but declined to say what Washington might do if Saddam Hussein were found in Syria.
"The last thing I would do would be to discuss that," he said in a television interview, stressing that if the missing Iraqi president turned up in the neighboring state, it would show that "Syria would have made an even bigger mistake."
"The (Syrian) government is making a lot of bad mistakes, a lot of bad judgments in my view," Rumsfeld said in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" program.
The secretary has in recent days repeatedly charged that Damascus has not only voiced support for Saddam's fallen government, but has been helping senior Iraqi leaders enter Syria to stay or move on to other countries.
But on Sunday, Rumsfeld also said Syrian nationals had been actively involved in fighting against U.S. forces, including many in Baghdad.
"There are a number of non-Iraqis who are in the country, particularly in Baghdad we find ... A lot from Syria, most from Syria it appears," he said.
Asked if they were involved in fighting, Rumsfeld said, "Absolutely. In firefights, a lot of them got killed last night."
The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, which has openly called for the defeat of U.S. and British forces by Iraq, earlier dismissed charges from Rumsfeld that it allowed night vision equipment and other military aid into Iraq.
Questions about timing
Syria has been on the U.S. list of countries supporting terrorism for many years and some conservative hawks in Washington say that after Iraq, the United States should set its sights on "regime change" in Syria and Iran.
No one is explicitly advocating force against Syria or Iran but conservatives inside and out of the U.S. government hope the Iraq war will signal to Damascus and Tehran that seeking weapons of mass destruction may be hazardous to their health.
Some private analysts have raised questions about U.S. open attacks on Damascus at a time when the U.S. military is involved in a war in Iraq and a major diplomatic face-off with Pyongyang over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
In Beirut, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said on Sunday the time was not right for the United States to raise pressure on Syria by accusing it of aiding Saddam's collapsed regime.
Villepin said after meeting Lebanese leaders the international community should focus instead on rebuilding Iraq and reviving Middle East peace efforts.
"The time is for consultation, for dialogue, and we should be very careful in putting all our energies to try to find solutions because we do have enough problems," he said before heading for Saudi Arabia, his last stop on a Middle East tour.
But Rumsfeld said Washington would not "deny the truth."
"The fact of the matter is that Syria has been unhelpful and pretending that that's not the case it strikes me is to deny the truth. And I don't think you can live a lie," he said on CBS.
"We did see busloads of people coming out of Syria into the country. Some were stopped - the ones we could find we turned around and sent them back. Some we impounded and put them in enemy prisoner of war camps. And others are getting killed," he said.
The secretary repeated charges by the U.S. military that one bus found had had contained several hundred thousand dollars and leaflets that suggested that people would be rewarded if they killed Americans.
Rumsfeld was asked if Syria was going to pay a price for supporting Saddam.
"I'm sure they already are if you think about it," he said. "I mean who in the world would want to invest in Syria? Who would want to go in tourism in Syria? They're associating with
the wrong people and the effect of that hurts the Syrian people."
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/283663.html
Mofaz: Syria must lift Hezbollah threat to Israel By Daniel Sobelman and Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondents, Agencies and Haaretz Service
Syria must lift the threat of Hezbollah attacks against Israel and expel the leaders of terrorist organizations from Damascus, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was quoted as saying Monday, amid fast-rising tensions between Syria and the United States.
"We must monitor what it happening there. The Americans have taken out a 'yellow card' on them, and were right to do so," he said in remarks broadcast on Army Radio, referring to a soccer referee's warning card for players who have broken the rules of the game, and, if infractions continue, may be expelled.
Overnight Monday, Hezbollah once again fired artillery shells into Israeli territory. They landed in Kiryat Shmona and did not cause injuries, Army Radio reported Monday.
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk a-Shara said Sunday that if the United States decides to attack Syria, Israel will also be harmed as a result. Shara also rejected claims that Syria was providing shelter to senior Iraqi leaders, and said that the Americans "know well that these accusations have no basis."
Shara's comments came after U.S. President George W. Bush Sunday repeated warnings to Syria that it must cooperate with Washington and not harbor Iraqi leaders who may flee across their common border.
"Syria just needs to cooperate with the United States and our coalition partners, not harbor any (Iraqi) Baathists, any military officials, any people who need to be held to account," Bush told reporters.
Mofaz said that Syria "has taken in senior Iraqi figures to its territory, it has also allowed terrorism to be launched in the direction of the Americans in Iraq."
Army Radio reported Sunday that Hezbollah fighters had recently moved additional artillery pieces near the Lebanon-Israel border, from which they have been directing anti-aircraft fire at border towns and villages.
Shrapnel from anti-aircraft shells fell overnight in Kiryat Shmona, it said.
Former prime minister and foreign minister Shimon Peres, currently in the United States, said Washington no longer tolerate "two faced policies" regarding terrorism. "A nation can either fight terror or aid terror. They will not allow a nation to pretend it is fighting terror, while it actually aids it."
Peres said that some 10 headquarters of terrorist organizations in Damascus. He added that Washington's approach to Syria was likely to be "uncompromising," but "I don't think that the next step will be use of military force. I think that what America will try to do is to truly forge a coalition to tell Syria to decide where it's really headed."
After its Iraq invasion, "the American people have a power of their own even without immediate use of military force. This is the change in the situation," Peres said. "I expect that many nations will join this effort."
Asked whether Syria could face military action if it does not turn over Iraqi leaders, Bush said: "They just need to cooperate."
Syria has been on the U.S. list of countries supporting terrorism for many years and some hawks in Washington say that after Iraq, the United States should set its sights on "regime change" in Syria and Iran.
In his remarks, Bush also contended that Syria, Iraq's northwestern neighbor, has chemical weapons, a charge made in recent CIA reports and one denied by Syria.
"We believe there are chemical weapons in Syria," the president said. He warned Syria, Iran and North Korea that Iraq's example shows "we're serious about stopping weapons of mass destruction."
Bush said he might contact Syrian leaders to make clear his warning. Syria's deputy ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, denied that his country was harboring escaped Iraqis. He said it was the responsibility of U.S. troops to monitor Iraq's border with Syria.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld charged that Syrian fighters had been killed or captured by U.S. forces in Iraq, but declined to say what Washington might do if Saddam Hussein were found in Syria.
"The (Syrian) government is making a lot of bad mistakes, a lot of bad judgments in my view," Rumsfeld said in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" program. The secretary has in recent days repeatedly charged that Damascus has not only voiced support for Saddam's fallen government, but has been helping senior Iraqi leaders enter Syria to stay or move on to other countries.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/283686.html
IRAQI SCIENTISTS ENTER SYRIA WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States believes that a handful of Iraqi weapons scientists have fled to Syria.
U.S. officials said the scientists include the administrators of Iraq's biological and chemical weapons programs. They said they fled to Syria over the last week and were harbored by the Iraqi embassy in Damascus.
Among the scientists who arrived in Damascus were Huda Mahdi Amash, head of Iraq's biological weapons program, and a senior colleague, Rihab Taha. Both women were trained in the West.
"Syria just needs to know we expect full cooperation and that we strongly urge them not to allow for Baath Party members or Saddam's families or generals on the run to seek safe haven and find safe haven there," President George Bush said. "We expect the Syrian authorities to turn them over to the proper folks."
http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2003/april/04_14_2.html
Syria Once Again Is Target of U.S. Ire By Charles Aldinger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Sunday repeated allegations that Syria, whose bitter opposition to the war in Iraq has outraged Washington, may be harboring Iraqi officials or chemical weapons.
Asked if the charges, a regular theme in recent weeks from hard-line members of the U.S. administration, could lead to war, Bush told reporters: "I think that we believe there are chemical weapons in Syria, for example. And we will -- each situation will require a different response and, of course, we're -- first things first.
"We're here in Iraq now. And the second thing about Syria is that we expect cooperation. And I'm hopeful we'll receive cooperation," he said.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Syrian fighters had been killed or captured by U.S. forces in Iraq, but declined to say what Washington might do if Saddam Hussein were found to have fled across the Syrian border.
"The last thing I would do would be to discuss that," he said in a television interview, stressing that if the missing Iraqi president turned up in the neighboring state, it would show that "Syria would have made an even bigger mistake."
"The (Syrian) government is making a lot of bad mistakes, a lot of bad judgments in my view," Rumsfeld said in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Rumsfeld has in recent days repeatedly charged that Damascus has not only voiced support for Saddam's fallen government, but has been helping senior Iraqi leaders enter Syria to stay or move on to other countries.
But on Sunday, Rumsfeld also said Syrian nationals had been actively involved in fighting against U.S. forces, including many in Baghdad.
"There are a number of non-Iraqis who are in the country, particularly in Baghdad we find ... A lot from Syria, most from Syria it appears," he said.
Asked if they were involved in fighting, Rumsfeld said, "Absolutely. In firefights, a lot of them got killed last night."
SYRIA DISMISSES CHARGES
The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, which has openly called for the defeat of U.S. and British forces by Iraq, dismissed earlier charges from Rumsfeld that it had allowed night vision equipment and other military aid into Iraq.
Syria has been on the U.S. list of countries supporting terrorism for many years, and some conservative hawks in Washington say that after Iraq, the United States should set its sights on "regime change" in Syria and Iran.
Conservatives inside and out of the U.S. government hope the Iraq war will signal to Damascus and Tehran that seeking weapons of mass destruction may be hazardous to their health.
In Beirut, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said the time was not right for the United States to raise pressure on Syria by accusing it of aiding Saddam's collapsed regime.
Villepin said after meeting Lebanese leaders the international community should focus instead on rebuilding Iraq and reviving Middle East peace efforts.
But Rumsfeld said Washington would not "deny the truth."
"The fact of the matter is that Syria has been unhelpful and pretending that that's not the case it strikes me is to deny the truth. And I don't think you can live a lie," he said on CBS.
Rumsfeld was asked if Syria was going to pay a price for supporting Saddam.
"I'm sure they already are if you think about it," he said. "I mean who in the world would want to invest in Syria? Who would want to go in tourism in Syria? They're associating with the wrong people and the effect of that hurts the Syrian people." (With additional reporting by Lori Santos and Andy Sullivan)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19197-2003Apr13.html
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