Rumsfeld skeptical of Syrian promises to help control border

NEW YORK, Oct 4 (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday that Syria jas been "notably unhelpful" in cooperating in attempts to restore order to Iraq.
He charged that Syria has used its border with Iraq "to facilitate terrorists moving back and forth, money moving back and forth," and cited a litany of other outstanding issues.
"Syria has been notably unhelpful," he said in a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
He said it refuses to release frozen Iraqi funds, cooperates with Iran in support of Hezbollah, and continues to occupy Lebanon.
"There have been meetings lately, and whether they will change their way and be more helpful prospectively time will tell, but I'd like to see it," said Rumsfeld.
He was referring to two days of talks last week in Damascuss between US, Iraqi and Syrian officials in which the Syrians agreed to tighten control of the border with Iraq.