Syria 's ambassador to US meets with Powell: we did not tackle the Accountability law

The Syrian ambassador in Washington Imad Mustafa said after his meeting with the US secretary of state Colin Powell yesterday that the US " undoubtedly sends the wrong message " on the assassination of the spiritual leader of the "Hamas " movement Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, noting that the Arabs are questioning whether the US administration " regrets or is pleased over the assassination operation."

Mustafa explained he did not talk with Powell, during their meeting which lasted for half an hour, about "Syria's Accountability Law" and the sanctions that might be imposed by Washington on Damascus, according to this law.

Mustafa added that all channels between Washington and Damascus are still open. He said " we want constructive relations with the US," noting that the situation on the border between Syria and Iraq had improved.

Mustafa said that Washington " undoubtedly is sending the wrong message " on the assassination of Sheikh Yassin. He explained that the US administration regretted the assassination at the beginning and then refused to support the decision taken by the UN human rights committee to condemn the assassination. Mustafa continued that Powell told him that the US admits that reforms in the Arab world should be made inside every and each country and can not be imposed from the outside. For its part the US Department Of State did not comment on the meeting.