Bush administration intends to impose sanctions on Syria, soon

Officials at the US Congress and other well-informed sources said that the administration of the US President George W. Bush intends to impose certain sanctions on Syria within weeks because of what they called its support of the terrorist groups and of not preventing fighters from entering Iraq.

A spokesman for a republican Congresswomen on the international relations committee at the US house of representatives said that despite the persistence of the White House that no final decisions is taken, senior officials in the US administration told the Congresswomen on Friday that a nearby decision will be issued to this effect.

Several sources said that the administration is inclined to impose economic sanctions rather than diplomatic ones according to the law signed by Bush in December 2003, noting that this decision might be issued this week or the next.

Washington accuses Syria of sponsoring terrorism and occupying Lebanon and not controlling its borders with Iraq at a time when it permits anti US fighters to cross the borders to that country.

Syria, however, says that its support for the Palestinian and Islamic groups which it described as groups fighting for freedom as just a political support and that their only activity in Syria is limited to talking to the media.