KUWAIT CITY - Syria has ignored US demands to stop foreign fighters crossing the border into Iraq and "terrorists" operating from Syrian territory, a top US commander said in comments published Thursday.
"We have provided Syrians with very specific information and asked them to help in securing the Iraq-Syrian borders to stop foreign fighters from crossing into Iraq," commander of the US forces in the Gulf, General John Abizaid was quoted as telling Arabic-language Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai Al-Aam.
"More importantly, we asked them to cooperate with us in chasing terrorists operating out of Syria, in addition to Iraqi Baathists present in Syria who are trying to organize military operations inside Iraq," Abizaid said.
"We have been very specific and clear in our demands. Unfortunately, all these demands fell on Syrian deaf ears and they did not respond to any of it."
Abizaid said Syrians must prove that they are serious in helping Iraq achieve stability.
"I find great difficulty in understanding the Syrian position because Iraq's stability would mean the withdrawal of US forces, and this is supposed to be what the Syrians want," he said.
Abizaid warned that the Syrian regime "will not be able to succeed" so long as it continues to "isolate itself from the world, live in the 50s of the past century and believe it can support terrorists."
05/05/2005 10:50 GMT