Damascus
President Bashar al-Assad pledged this week to deny refuge to former Iraqi officials fleeing Baghdad. Bush administration officials had accused Damascus of harboring followers of Saddam Hussein as well as, perhaps, some of the deposed dictator’s weapons of mass destruction—prompting speculation that the U.S. might take military action. “Syria, from the beginning, never wanted confrontational dialogue with the U.S.,” Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara said this week. “We have sealed off the borders between Syria and Iraq, and anyone crossing the border should have a visa.” President Bush pronounced himself pleased. “It seems like they’re beginning to get the message,” he said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 20, 2024Cartoons Monday's cartoons - flags flipped, Diddy dunked, and more
-
Diddy admits to beating girlfriend after videoSpeed Read Though he previously denied allegations of abuse, Combs apologized for abusing Cassie Ventura following the release of new CCTV footage
-
Biden delivers Morehouse graduation speechSpeed Read It was the president's first time addressing a college campus since the breakout of Gaza war protests
