US designate ambassador to Syria: Accountability law sets behavior measurement

The designate American ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scooby, said yesterday that Syria has taken "positive steps, though not enough to improve border security" with Iraq and in order "to disclose the Iraqi assets in Syrian banks."

But she added "regrettably, Syria has not taken positive steps to deal with other issues of concern to the USA, in particular, supporting terrorism and seeking to develop mass destruction weapons and her occupation of Lebanon."

Scooby said, during a hearing organized by the foreign relations committee at the US Senate to ratify her appointment as an Ambassador in Damascus, that in case her nomination is approved "this will be an indication that despite the deep relations between the US and Syria, the US is still committed to the necessary level for dialogue to solve differences and establish more stable relations serving the interests of the two sides."

Until her appointment as an ambassador in Damascus, Scooby was working as an acting ambassador at the American embassy in Riyadh, and before that, she had serves in various diplomatic posts in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen as a chairperson for the political section in Jerusalem. She masters the Arabic language and also speaks Persian and Spanish.

Scooby said that Syria's interest lies in having a stable and peaceful Iraq and she vowed to work for convincing the Syrians concerning several issues pertaining to Iraq including security issues and economic relations. She said she wants to work with the Syrians to "develop conditions that permit the US and Syria to work together towards achieving common goals, like just and comprehensive peace built on UN security council resolutions 242 and 338 and Madrid terms of reference and the land for peace formula."

She considered that Syria's accountability law, if approved, will draw a clear measurements for the Syrian behavior, and "I will exert all efforts to encourage Syria to realize that it is in her interest to respond positively to the interests expressed by the Congress, President Bush and Secretary Powell." She also considered that Syria should increase respect for human rights, political openness and economic reforms. "I will encourage Syria's leaders to achieve these reforms which will allow the Syrians to build a prosperous and stable future for themselves and for their children," she said.

She indicated she will try to have a dialogue directly with the Syrian people in order to explain to them what America means and she encourages Congress members to visit Syria.