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Powell warns Syria of 'consequences'

AFP, Damascus
Any failure by Damascus to use its influence constructively in regards to post-Saddam Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process will result in "consequences", US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned Sunday.
"There are consequences lurking in the background," Powell said in an interview with CBS television, the day after his return from a tour of Europe and the Middle East, including Syria.
Powell reiterated his call to Damascus to react constructively to the new situation in the region following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in neighbouring Iraq.
Powell said that he especially pressed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on closing his country's border with Iraq, and closing the Damascus offices of militant proPalestinian organisations that Washington considers terrorist groups.
"What counts now is performance ... we're looking for a new
attitude on the part of Syria. We're looking for changed behaviour," he said in a separate interview on ABC television.
Powell said that Washington had made clear to Assad that "we are committed to moving forward on this road map."
The US congress already had legislation in place which would allow it to slap sanctions on Syria if US officials felt Damascus was being uncooperative, Powell said.
Some US lawmakers were pushing for further scope to react to what might be seen as Syrian intransigence, he added.
While insisting that he had made no promises to the Syrians during his trip, Powell said there were advantages for Damascus if it took a moderate line in regional politics.
"There are new options on the table that might benefit (Syria) ... as we move forward down the road map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, he said.
The United States, he said, is "looking for a comprehensive settlement of all issues in the
region, not just between the Israelis and Palestinians, but ultimately a solution that would include Syrian interests and Lebanese interests as well."
He also recognized that the issue of Israelis settling in Palestinian territories would be "one of the most difficult issues to resolve, along with the final status of the city and the right of return."
Powell's comments kept the pressure on Syria after weeks of US sabre-rattling since the end of the war in Iraq. US officials have repeatedly accused Damascus of aiding Saddam, of sponsoring terrorism, and of pursuing weapons of mass destruction.
Speaking on CNN's Late Edition, US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld said that "time will tell" Syria's attitude improves following the fall of Saddam.
"I think you need to let the dust settle on that," he said.
Syria was "making some unwise decisions previously," Rumsfeld said. "What they'll do after this visit remains to be seen."