The US Secretary of State Colin Powell has attempted to quell fears in the Arab and Muslim world that the United States would follow the Iraq war by invading other Middle East nations.
Powell said Washington had concerns about policies pursued by Iran and Syria but insisted there was no plan to attack any other country to topple its leadership or impose US-style democracy.
"We have concerns about Syria, we have let Syria know of our concerns," he told reporters at the State Department's Foreign Press Center in Washington.
"We also have concerns about some of the policies of Iran and we have made the Iranians fully aware of our concerns," Powell said. "But there is no list, there is no war plan right now to go attack someone else either for the purpose of overthrowing their leadership or for the purpose of imposing democratic values," he said.
President George W. Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Powell have in recent days stepped up warnings to Syria in particular that it could face consequences if it did not change its policies. On Monday, Powell said Washington might impose diplomatic and economic sanctions on Damascus for allegedly allowing members of Saddam Hussein's regime safe haven, its support for groups designated terrorist organizations by the United States and its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.
Syria has denied the charges and other nations, particularly in Europe, have urged the United States to tone down its rhetoric. Powell did not repeat his threat of sanctions on Tuesday, but made clear that Syria had to adapt to the new environment in the region resulting from Saddam's ouster and the US intent to forge a functioning democracy in Iraq.
"We hope that Syria understands now that there is a new environment in the region with the end of the regime of Saddam Hussein and that Syria will reconsider its policies of past years and understand that there are better choices it can make than the choices it has made in the past," he said. AFP