14 April 2003
Syria Needs to Think about Its Future, Reeker Says
(State Department Report, April 14: Syria, Iraq) (390) By Jane Morse Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- Syria needs to think about its future, advised Philip Reeker, deputy spokesman for the Department of State. At the April 14 daily department press briefing, Reeker noted that the United States has long considered Syria a sponsor of terrorism and suspected it of possessing weapons of mass destruction. In addition, the United States is concerned that Syria's porous borders may have facilitated the escape from Iraq of members of Saddam Hussein's regime, including "those most directly involved in the barbarity and the viciousness" of the regime and those with knowledge of weapons of mass destruction, he said. "We wouldn't think the Syrians would want to see them in Syria," Reeker said. As Secretary of State Colin Powell has noted, Reeker said, "Syria has a choice to make, and we hope they'll make the right one." "There are questions that Syria needs to ask and some things Syria needs to think about in terms of their future," Reeker said. "We are entering a new stage in the region now, where we won't have and don't have Saddam Hussein as a threat to the stability of the region," the deputy spokesman said. "It's a great opportunity for Iraqis to rebuild their country and have a stable country. And it's the kind of thing that Syria can also think about in terms of how they want to deal in the region and deal internationally." Reeker called upon Syria to re-examine its past and present practices and behaviors. He said U.S. officials are "keeping very close touch" with the Syrians about control of their border. "They've told us that their border is closed to all but humanitarian travel; and we hope that, in fact, that's the case," Reeker said. "As Secretary Powell indicated, it's a porous border. So we watch that closely as well." Reeker noted that the Central Intelligence Agency tracks Syria's acquisition of technologies relating to weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional munitions in a report it issues twice a year. "There's an ongoing dialogue with Syria about that," he said of Syria's weapons programs. Despite the seriousness of U.S. concerns, Syria and the Syrians "are very much potential partners in cooperation," Reeker said. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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