SYRIA LOSES IMPORTS AMID U.S. BLOCKADE

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Syria asserts that merchant ships are avoiding thenation's ports amid what officials term an emerging U.S. blockade of theArab country. Syrian officials said warships from the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet arestopping an increasing number of ships heading for Syria and Lebanon. Theysaid U.S. naval inspections of merchant ships are proceeding at the rate oftwo a week.