WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Bush administration has proposed removing Damascus
from the State Department's list of terrorist sponsors if Syria joins a
U.S.-led coalition against Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden.U.S. officials said the State Department has relayed such a message to
Damascus. Officials said the message asserted that Syrian participation in
an international coalition would be seen as evidence that Damascus has
renounced support for terrorism. The message also urged Syria to restrain
Hizbullah and Palestinian groups from attacking Israel's northern border.The removal of Syria from the State Department terrorist list would make
Damascus eligible for both military and civilian aid. Officials said Syria
remains on the terrorist list largely because of its refusal to expel
Kurdish, the Lebanese Hizbullah and Palestinian insurgency groups."We view Syria as small potatoes in terms of terrorism," a State
Department official said. "Syrian participation in the coalition could tip
the balance and finally remove Damascus from the terrorism list."President George Bush has requested from Congress legislation that would
grant him the authority to waive restrictions on U.S. military and civilian
aid to any foreign country. Officials said the request is meant to grant the
president the ability to quickly reward so-called rogue states such as Iran,
Syria and Sudan for any support of the U.S.-led battle against Bin Laden and
his cohorts."We have an ongoing dialogue with Syria on the subject of the activities
in the Bekaa Valley, and other activities that Hizbollah has carried out,"
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "And we have asked them, as
well as all others, to use their influence to rein in these kind of
activities."
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