Israel is pleased over American sanctions on Syria, Britain supports, Mousa criticizes
Syria-Israel, Politics, 5/13/2004

The Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom yesterday welcomed the decision taken on Tuesday by the US president George W. Bush on imposing sanctions on Syria under the charge of supporting terrorism and developing mass destructions weapons and obstructing stability in Iraq.

In a statement Shalom said it is an important decision that proves the determination of the US to launch a hard war not only against terrorist organizations but also against those who support it.

He added that Syria is still sheltering and help effectively terrorist organizations, noting that terrorist leaders are still active freely with headquarters in Damascus.

Meantime, the spokesman for the British prime minister Tony Blair said that his country shares the US its concern concerning Syria concerning the weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, human rights and Iraq.

In his daily press conference, the spokesman explained that London expects from Damascus to take seriously the reasons behind this concern and to take constructive steps towards the situation in Iraq and to work for restoring stability there and to help in rebuilding.

He indicated that Britain supports the constructive criticism policy in dealing with Syria so as to encourage reforms and support them, and simultaneously to talk frankly about matters which raises the concern of London. He explained that the way Washington runs its relations with Damascus is a matter of concern to the US.

However, London enjoys distinguished relations with Damascus. The Syrian president Bashar al-Assad visited Britain in 2003 and met with the prime minister and the Queen, and Blair had visited Syria.

The British announcement came after the White House announced on Tuesday the decision to implement sanctions on Damascus according to what is called Syria's Accountability law which was signed earlier by the US President.

The sanctions include banning investments of the American oil companies in Syria, preventing the Syrian planes from entering the American airspace, banning the American exports to Syria with the exception of food stuffs and medicines.

The decision came after members in the US congress threatened to issue a decision imposing tightened sanctions on Damascus up to the " Iraqi liberation law." In reply to the American sanctions law against Syria, the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa criticized Washington and described the decision as very grave, and an addition to the negative attitude of the Arab- American relations and a threat to stability in the region.

Moussa considered that Israel stands behind the American decision towards Syria, calling on the US to reconsider its relations and behaviors towards the Arab states and to take into account that hostility towards the Arabs is a matter of consequences.

The Lebanese president Emil Lahoud denounced these sanctions and said they prove, one again, the bias if the American administration to Israel.

The Syrian President accused the US as becoming the source of instability in the Middle East. Despite the fact that this statement came in a press interview with a Spanish paper before the US imposed its sanctions and issued yesterday, this view is considered a reaction to an expected decision.

The Syrian prime minister Naji Otari described the decision as a repressive and unjustified measure. The Syrian foreign ministry considered it as lacking credibility and does not serve the interest of the American people.

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