US: Syrian answer to our demands incomplete

The US Secretary Of State Colin Powell has stated that Syria has answered and to a certain extent positively responded to the recent US demands, especially those relating to the situation in the Middle East. But he added that the answer was not "complete," and "we still have important differences with Syria, but we will discuss these differences," in remarks to his forthcoming visit to Damascus by the beginning of April.

Though Powell admitted that Syria provided certain help in the world war against terrorism, following September 11, 2001 attacks. "But they are a state sponsored terrorism. They do not accept this description, but we continuously use it. We also feel concerned over what they do in the area of developing the mass destruction weapons and we have told them that."

He, on the other hand indicated that there are diplomatic relations between the two countries and that the US ambassador in Damascus Theodore Qattouf always conveys the American concerns to the Syrians. This is, however, Powell's third visit to Damascus.