Posted on 04/13/2003 4:02:32 AM PDT by ejdrapes
Syria must not become a safe haven to Iraqi officials fleeing Baghdad, US Secretary General Colin Powell has told the BBC.
In a fresh warning to Syria, Mr Powell said it should not help Iraqi officials who should be brought to justice in their own country.
The American secretary of state also told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme there was "no question" there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and they would be found.
We are making this point clearly and in a very direct manner to the Syrians
And he argued that ending the war did not depend on finding Saddam Hussein dead or alive.
"We will have closure with or without Saddam Hussein," said Mr Powell.
"We would like to know exactly what happened to Saddam Hussein, but he is no longer in charge of anything."
US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld has already warned Syria not to allow equipment to go across its boundaries destined for parts of Saddam Hussein's regime.
On Sunday, Mr Powell said: "Syria has been a concern for a long period of time.
"We have designated Syria for years as a state that sponsors terrorism, and we have discussed this with the Syrians on many occasions.
"We are concerned that materials have flowed through Syria to the Iraqi regime over the years.
"We are making this point clearly and in a very direct manner to the Syrians.
"We hope the Syrians will respond accordingly."
Mr Powell added: "Also, we think it would be very unwise ... if suddenly Syria suddenly becomes a haven for all these people who should be brought to justice who are trying to get out of Baghdad."
Iraq's example
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on Saturday denied his country was offering any help to the Iraqi regime.
Claims that it was giving support were only attempts to push attention away from American failures, Mr al-Sharaa argued.
French foreign minister Dominique de Villepin visited Syria this weekend as other nations tried to ensure a new diplomatic stand-off did not develop.
UK Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien is set to visit Syria this week and says the Syrian ambassador has told him its border with Iraq is now closed.
The approach towards Syria and Iran is seen as a significant point of difference between the UK and US.
But Tony Blair recently said there were no plans for any attack on either country - and said they should be treated differently from Iraq.
In Sunday's interview, Mr Powell suggested Iraq could become an example of a country which had returned to the "family of nations".
He said the US had been worried about Iran and North Korea - part of the "Axis of Evil" US President George Bush has spoken of.
Such countries "were not friendly to democratic principles, who have supported terrorist activities over the years, and who have been developing and even possess weapons of mass destruction", said Mr Powell.
"One of the good things that will come out of what has happened in Iraq is that Iraq can become an example ... of a nation that can now use its treasure to develop an economic system and a political system that will make them welcomed into the family of nations and become a responsible player in the region," he added.
Weapons hunt
US officials will be interviewing General Amir al-Saadi, the senior aide to Saddam Hussein who surrendered to American forces in Baghdad on Saturday.
The general has insisted Iraq has no biological, nuclear or chemical weapons.
No firm evidence of any weapons mass destruction has yet been produced, but Mr Powell was confident it would come.
He said: "The combat period is over and we can now turn our attention to finding weapons of mass destruction.
"There's strong evidence and no question about the fact there are weapons of mass destruction.
"We will find weapons of mass destruction."
|
|
|
 |
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
|
Yes, but not surprising. The Weasels are trying to protect their bestest buddies. Wasn't it Henry Kissinger who coined the phrase "realpolitik"? It seems like the Weasels are the most enthusiastic practitioners of this craft.
"... we think it would be very unwise ... if suddenly Syria suddenly becomes a haven for all these people who should be brought to justice who are trying to get out of Baghdad." - US Secretary of State Colin Powell April 13, 2003
Ouch.
We play a pretty good game ourselves.
He will 76 in '08. How old was Reagan when he was elected? How old was Churchill when he became PM? A Rumsfeld presidency was once a lot closer than most people realize. When Reagan was picking his VP at the 1980 convention, his final short list boiled down to a choice between Bush I and Rumsfeld. Think of the possible historical ramifications of that choice. Would Rumsfeld have backed off Iraq in 1991? Would he have left the Shiites and Kurds hanging out to dry? Would he have frittered away a big lead opening the door to 8 years of Clinton?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.