Syria seals border with Iraq in nod to U.S.

Damascus - Syria's foreign minister confirmed yesterday that his country's border with Iraq had been sealed, signalling a shift towards cooperation with the United States in bringing a postwar settlement to the region. 

Farouk al-Sharaa welcomed President Bush's positive remarks about Syria at the weekend, insisting that his country wanted dialogue and not heated exchanges with the United States. The rapprochement marks a significant reduction in tension between the two countries.

On Sunday Mr Bush told servicemen at Fort Hood military base that Syria was "getting the message that they should not harbour Ba'ath party officials, high-ranking Iraqi officials". He called for the return of fugitives.

"I'm confident the Syrian government has heard us and I believe it when they say they want to cooperate with us," he added. "When we think there's somebody there, or know somebody's there, we, of course, will pass on the name and fully expect the Syrian government to hand the person over."

The US secretary of state, Colin Powell, is due to visit Damascus soon. The improvement in relations follows a week of inflamed rhetoric during which Washington's allies feared the Pentagon's threats against Damascus could turn into military action and destabilise the Middle East.

Britain has cultivated close ties with Syria in the belief that the west needs to work with the country to advance the peace process .

Yesterday the Syrian foreign minister announced that anyone crossing into his country from Iraq would require a visa. Mr Al-Sharaa spoke at a news conference with the Spanish foreign minister, Ana Palacio, following her two-hour meeting with the president.

Ms Palacio praised Syria as a "very responsible international actor, and constructive and pragmatic." Ms Palacio, whose country maintains good relations with both Damascus and Washington, stressed that Syria is not under military threat from the United States. -- Guardian News

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