Global Security Newswire

The U.S. House International Relations Committee voted 33-2 yesterday to approve the Syria Accountability Act, which would impose U.S. sanctions against Damascus unless the U.S. president certifies that Syria is not developing weapons of mass destruction or supporting terrorism, according to the New York Times (see GSN, Oct. 8).

“The time has come to hold Syria accountable for its actions,” committee member Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) said.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the White House would no longer oppose the bill. Previously, the Bush administration had argued that more time was needed for diplomatic efforts with Syria and that Damascus was aiding the war on terrorism, according to the Times.

“We have repeatedly said that Syria is on the wrong side of the war on terrorism and that Syria needs to stop harboring terrorists,” McClellan said.

House officials said they saw McClellan’s remarks as a clear indication that U.S. President George W. Bush would sign the bill if approved by Congress. House leaders are set to bring the bill up for a full vote as early as next week, the Times reported (Carl Hulse, New York Times, Oct. 9).

While Syrian officials have not yet publicly commented on the bill, the official Syrian newspaper Tishrin today called it the work of “ultra-extremists who are doing their best to make the atmosphere tense between Arabs and the American administration.”

“The whole world knows that Syria is the country that demanded, and is still demanding, the clearing of the whole (Middle East) region of weapons of mass destruction, and it is abiding by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which Israel is refusing to join,” the newspaper’s political editor wrote.

The Tishrin editorial suggested that Damascus still seeks a dialogue with Washington, according to the Associated Press.

“It (Syria) is open to objective and constructive dialogue with all countries of the world,” the editorial said (Bassem Mroue, Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 9).