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UK increases pressure on Syria
April 15, 2003 13:46 IST
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Tuesday it was up to Syria to prove it was no 'rogue nation' by providing answers to charges that it took in fleeing leaders of the overthrown Iraqi government.
"Syria has an opportunity to prove that it's not in that category," he told a news conference at the Qatar Central Command headquarters running the war in Iraq.
"We look forward to them understanding this new reality and moving forward."
The United States ratcheted up pressure on Damascus on Monday by threatening sanctions over charges that it was harbouring Iraqi leaders, developing chemical weapons and supporting terrorism.
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accused Syria of carrying out tests involving chemical weapons over the past 12 to 15 months.
Syria denied all the charged.
US officials stopped short of threatening to extend the Iraq war into Syria, but insisted all options remain on the table.
Analysts doubted Washington would launch military action, and expect it to use diplomatic pressure to try to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to change course.
"There are some important questions for Syria to deal with… which include the question of chemical weapons.
"We in the United Kingdom have tried to improve relations with Syria. There is an agenda for Syria and it's important that they take it in a constructive way."
He denied the United States and Britain had lined up a list of countries against which they were planning military action.
"There isn't a list, and Syria isn't on it," he said. "But Syria has got to understand the seriousness of this situation."
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Number of User Comments: 50
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Sub: Sirya, Should be Axis of Evil
US should clean up Sirya, along with Iran, Egypt and Pakistan. All of these countries had/have/will promted terrisom in name of Religion and still would ...
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Posted by Sushil Singh
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Sub: War against all
It seems after Iraq now its the turn of Syria. Then it will be North Korea, Iran and India. Now its time for the inhabitants ...
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Posted by Javed Iqbal
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Sub: syria as a rogue nation.....
Is this a parallel to the old sequence of Austria,Poland,Checkoslovakia...etc.This is a spectre that is terribly worrisome.
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Posted by vasanth
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Sub: WMD
Why Bush?Blair & Party be not tried for War Crimes & Crime against Humanity if WMD are not found in Iraq.
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Posted by Sharma M
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Sub: There isn't a list, and Syria isn't on it!!!
There isn't a list, and Syria isn't on it!!! ha ha ha How come Syria isn't on it, 'it' being the list which does not ...
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Posted by Sai
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