U.S. uses Syrian minister's presence to attack Syrian support for terrorist groups

Associated Press ^ | June 21 2002 | EDITH M. LEDERER

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U.S. uses Syrian minister's presence to attack Syrian support for terrorist groups

By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- As Syria's foreign minister presided over the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, the United States accused Syria of supporting terrorist groups and demanded it condemn Palestinian suicide bombings, diplomats said.

Syria's minister, Farouk al-Sharaa, denied that his country supported terrorists, saying it didn't have the means -- financial or otherwise -- to arm or give resources to terrorist groups, council diplomats said.

Syria holds the council's rotating presidency for the month of June, and al-Sharaa followed a council tradition of foreign ministers coming to New York to preside.

Syria's U.N. Ambassador, Mikhail Wehbe, said earlier this month that the meeting on Middle East issues would be closed so members could engage in "quiet diplomacy."

Diplomats said, however, that Thursday's closed meeting turned out to be anything but quiet after U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte attacked Syria for supporting terrorist groups.

Colombia's U.N. Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso said Negroponte's speech was tough. Al-Sharaa responded by denying any terrorist connections, Valdivieso said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who also addressed the council meeting, said the Syrian minister "did indicate that, obviously, he is against the killing of innocent civilians, but raised the question of the helplessness of the Palestinians, and indicated that they are not the only ones guilty of harming civilians."

Syria is on the U.S. list of countries sponsoring terrorism, and the Bush administration says it engages in both active and passive support for terrorist groups.

Negroponte told al-Sharaa that Syria should be more active in condemning recent suicide attacks on Israeli civilians, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He also said Syria should call for the dismantling of the infrastructure that supports terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, the diplomats said.

At the same time, the diplomats said, Negroponte told al-Sharaa that the United States appreciated Syria's help in the fight against the al-Qaida terror network.

He also urged all council members to ensure that Iraq does not acquire weapons of mass destruction, the diplomats said.

In his speech to the council, Annan said the sooner an international conference on the Mideast can be put together "the better."