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.
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