Thank you jveritas. I was misreading this part of your translation:
"the US state secretary went to Damascus to check on this with the Syrian government that in turn denied this news.”
thank you for the clarification. Re: the Chinese claim (hint) that the wmds had been moved from Iraq to Syria. along with Germany, it was the Syrian government that denied 'this news'. Not Powell.
Again....thank you so very much for your dedication!
Powell arrives in Syria for talks
U.S. secretary of state hopes for 'full and candid' conversation
Friday, May 2, 2003 Posted: 10:26 PM EDT (0226 GMT)
DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Damascus on Friday for talks with President Bashar Assad of Syria, which the United States has called a "rogue state." .........
....."From Tirana, the secretary flew to Damascus, which has been under U.S. pressure since the fall of the regime in Baghdad. Officials said Powell hopes to have a "full and candid" conversation with Assad and other Syrian leaders.
President Bush has accused Syria of harboring Saddam's henchmen and developing weapons of mass destruction.
Powell has threatened sanctions against the country but also has said there are no immediate plans to expand the war in Iraq to Syria. Syria denies the allegations from Washington. "
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/05/02/syria.powell/
I will keep looking to see if I can find anything Powell might have said regarding his findings from this trip.