"If we do, we're going to end up on a slippery slope to non-ending military conflicts. We can't let that happen," Putin said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac after holding talks with them.
Following the demise of the Iraqi regime, top US officials have issued a series of warnings to Syria, which now fears it might be next in line for a new US strike in the Middle East.
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday warned Damascus about giving aid to remnants of the Iraqi regime.
Rumsfeld accused Syria of helping "senior regime people out of Iraq and into Syria" and of continuing to provide Iraqi forces with equipment despite previous warnings.
And US President George W Bush asked Syria for its "total cooperation" in closing its border with neighbouring Iraq and turning over to the United States former dignitaries of Saddam Hussein's regime who may have found shelter on its territory.
Agence France-Presse
Ethyl here..........what is this "we" stuff???????? What is putin et.all talking about??? We have not had any of their "wee" stuff in our decapitation of Iraq! Also what is he talking about "former dignitaries of sadam hussein's regime" There are no dignitaries worth mentioning in sadam's regime. Oh, this is from "Agence France-Presse" Hell, they can't even spell, I say
F@*k them and the stupid ruskie. Onward Christian Soldiers.........to Iran, Syria then sack the little bastard in North Korea, but please don't foget the foghead in Cuba!
Saddam's brother just detained by our forces as he tried to sneak into Syria.