WASHINGTON,
September 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - While Syria
pledged to cooperate with "logical and realistic" demands,
Washington threatened Tuesday, September 17, it would use "every
tool" to dissuade the Arab country from allegedly pursuing
chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
The
White House put Syria on guard after a top state department official
claimed the Middle East country was a growing threat to international
security and a concern to the U.S.
"We've
made it very clear to Syria what they need to do, that their behavior
is unacceptable, and that they need to change their behavior,"
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
He
accused Syria of aiding groups designated terrorist by Washington,
including Palestinian resistance groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad as
well as Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The
spokesman expressed American worries that Damascus was failing to
close its border with Iraq to alleged extremists seeking to attack the
U.S.-led occupation forces in the oil-rich Arab country.
"Their
behavior is unacceptable, and states that harbor terror, as the
president has made clear, will be held accountable," McClellan
was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying.
The
statements came as John Bolton, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms
Control and International Security, told a Congress committee of the
administration's concerns regarding Syria.
Bolton,
a leading U.S. hawk, argued Washington must keep open the option of
using "every tool" - code for the remote possibility of
military action - to turn Syria away from its plots.
He
said the administration did not rule out tougher measures against
Syria and other nations Washington considers "rogue" states.
"In
short, if the language of persuasion fails, these states must see and
feel the logic of adverse consequences," Bolton threatened.
"Syria
allowed military equipment to flow into Iraq on the eve of and during
the war. Syria permitted volunteers to pass into Iraq to attack and
kill our service members during the war, and is still doing so,"
he claimed.
Damascus
had earlier denied any links to terrorism, insisting it is not
responsible for the setbacks of the U.S.-led occupation forces in Iraq
and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While
admitting the U.S. had yet not found any information to substantiate
media reports that Iraq might have transferred some of its suspected
weapons of mass destruction to Syria, Bolton said Washington was
troubled by the reports.
"While
there is currently no information indicating that the Syrian
government has transferred WMD to terrorist organizations or would
permit such groups to acquire them, Syria's ties to numerous terrorist
groups underlie the reasons for our continued anxiety," he told
the House of Representatives subcommittee on the Middle East and
Central Asia.
Bolton
said Syria is among a small group of countries - with Iran, North
Korea and Libya - that are considered a grave risk to U.S. security.
'Troubled'
 |
|
"If
the language of persuasion fails, these states must see and feel
the logic of adverse consequences," warned Bolton
|
|
He
said diplomatic measures to compel Damascus to curb its alleged ties
to extremist groups and curtail its alleged efforts to acquire banned
arms have not yet been exhausted.
Passage
of the proposed Syria Accountability Act, Bolton said, could derail
larger United States objectives in the region.
He
testified before a number of lawmakers who support legislation that
demands Damascus end support for "terrorism", withdraw from
Lebanon and stop alleged production of WMD or face business and
diplomatic sanctions.
But
his testimony had been vetted by the White House, hinting that those
in the administration who favor a harder line to Syria had, for now,
been eclipsed by advocates of a more diplomacy-based approach.
The
Bush administration has not formally taken a position on the Syrian
Accountability Act but it generally resists congressional efforts it
fears may tie its hands and interfere with the executive branch's
conduct of foreign policy, Reuters said.
Administration
officials say the bill is too rigid, as it would permit economic and
diplomatic sanctions against the Arab country.
But
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the subcommittee and a sponsor of
the bill, argued it was time for decisive action against Syria.
"I
am deeply troubled that American companies continue to sign
multi-billion dollar deals to invest in Syria's oil and gas
sector," she said.
"Worse
yet, they are reportedly joining hundreds of other types of U.S.
companies doing business in Syria," said the Florida Republican.
Syria
Repudiates
Reacting
to the allegations on different accounts, Syria repudiated supporting
terrorists or developing WMD, saying it was prepared to meet any
reasonable American request for help in the war against terrorism.
Syrian
Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara said the American claims were
"unfair and repeated".
Speaking
at a press conference with visiting European Union external relations
commissioner Chris Patten, Shara said "the American demands are
very numerous, but Syria is ready to cooperate if these demands turn
out to be logical and realistic," Shara said.
For
its part, the Syrian press assailed Washington and maintained Damascus
was not responsible for the setbacks in Iraq.
"The
problem does not lie with Syria but with the crises caused by the
occupations of Iraq and Palestine," the newspaper of the ruling
Baath said Wednesday.
"The
Syrian people cannot assume the responsibility for the failure of the
(U.S.) occupiers who had promised loud and long to restore stability
to the Iraqi people.
"Neither
can the Syrian people assume the responsibility of Israel's policies
and its terrorist practices aimed at making permanent its occupation
of Palestine, the Golan and in southern Lebanon."
On
Monday, Powell said Washington needed more "forceful"
cooperation from Syria if it wanted good relations with the U.S.
He
recalled telling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that if cooperation
were not shown soon, Congress could adopt something like the Syrian
Accountability Act.
"And
that will make it more difficult for us to pursue a course of better
relations with Syria," Powell said.
