Rice said Washington asked Syria to dismantle Hizbullah

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The United States has demanded that Syria "dismantle" the Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hizbullah , U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was quoted as saying in an Israeli newspaper Friday, May 2.

"At every opportunity, we have asked Syria to stop supporting “terrorism”, dismantle Hizbullah, close the headquarters of “terrorist” groups in Damascus and end the threat posed to Israel from rockets in south Lebanon ," Rice said, in remarks published in Hebrew in the Yediot Aharonot daily.

Rice was referring to the positions in south Lebanon held by the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hizbullah, which led the resistance to Israel 's 22-year occupation of the area which ended in May 2000.

Aside from frequent violations of Lebanon 's airspace by Israeli warplanes, which draw ineffective anti-aircraft fire from Hizbullah, the Lebanon-Israel border has been largely quiet since the Israeli withdrawal.

Rice also reiterated U.S. unfounded charges that Damascus was hosting members of Saddam Hussein's deposed regime.

"President (George W.) Bush felt Syria 's attitude during the war in Iraq was problematic, notably because high ranking Iraqi officials were able to enter Syria . Since then, the Syrians have been behaving more responsibly and closing their borders.

"Nevertheless, the issue is far from solved," she added.

Rice also pressed Israel to "react in a positive way to the changes in the Palestinian leadership," referring to the new reformist government of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas that began work Wednesday, April 30.

" Israel must improve the humanitarian situation and restore freedom of movement to the Palestinians," she said.

However, Rice assured Israel of continued backing from its key ally. "The United States has proved that it is a true friend on whom Israel can rely, and this is particularly the case with President Bush."

Rice's remarks came as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is due in Syria later Friday for talks in which he will press Damascus to address U.S. concerns about support for what it calls "terrorist" groups as well as allegations it is pursuing chemical weapons.

Syria Prepares For Powell   

Powell is in Syria Friday

In Damascus , meanwhile, Syria prepared Friday to host Powell, making clear it would not compromise on certain issues.

While rejecting the U.S. charges, Syria has tried to redirect the focus to the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, which it considers the root of all problems in the region.

"The change in the regional and international situation will not push Syria to make concessions or compromise on land and rights," the official Ath-Thawra newspaper said Friday, referring to Israel's continued occupation of Syria's strategic Golan Heights, occuppied in 1967.

It added that Damascus "wants the United States to adopt an objective and balanced position on peace," and especially to push for the implementation of U.N. resolutions calling for Israel to withdraw from occupied lands.

"Concessions are not part of ( Syria 's) policies, and Damascus will remain attached to regaining all its occupied territories," it added.

On a visit to Beirut Thursday, May 1, Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara said Powell was welcome to put forward his views.

"He can put to us his ideas within the framework of dialogue (and) explain his views on events in the region," Shara said, explaining "we will respond to these points without a spirit of aggressiveness."

But "we will not respond to demands," Shara said.

That was an allusion to U.S. pressure on Syria to end its support for Hizbullah.

Syria , which says that Hizbullah is part of Lebanon 's political landscape, is reluctant to end its support for the movement until the territorial issues are resolved.

"In the absence of peace and with the permanent presence of occupation, eyes should be turned toward the Israeli occupation before looking at those who are fighting against that occupation," Shara said in Beirut .

Similarly, to counter U.S. accusations that Syria was pursuing chemical weapons programs, Damascus submitted to the U.N. Security Council on April 16 a resolution proposing to make the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

With the move Damascus aimed to highlight that Israel , widely believed to have nuclear arms, has not signed treaties on banned weapons.