British-Syrian disputes over Iraq

The British ambassador in Damascus, Basil Eastwood, has expressed hope to reach with Britain's "Arab friends a means of avoiding us the use of power in Iraq."

He indicated "Syrian-British disputes over means of how to deal with the Iraqi issue," noting that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein "is a problem for all of us."

In a speech he gave on Monday in the central Syrian city of Homs, Eastwood said, "There are political disputes between us and the Syrian government," adding, "but the points which we agree upon are much greater those we differ on."

Eastwood added that the points of agreement between Damascus and London cover the "need of implementing UN Security Council resolutions and urge Iraq to abide by them." He commented, "But we differ on how we achieve that."

The British ambassador added, "We agree with the Syrians on the importance of doing our best to ensure best conditions for the Iraqi people."