Washington: United States President George W Bush has warned Syria not to allow
Baath Party members or Saddam Hussein's families or Generals on the run to find safe
haven in Syria.
"Syria just needs to know we expect full co-operation. If they (Saddam backers) are
in their country, we expect the Syrian authorities to turn them over to the proper
folks," Bush said after visiting the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre and National
Naval Medical Centre.
Visibly buoyed by the victories won in Iraq, he said, "The priority of this campaign
is to rid the Iraqi people of any vestiges of Saddam Hussein and his regime, so we
can not only free the people but clear that country of weapons of mass destruction.
"I don't know the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein. I don't know if he is dead or
alive. I do know he is no longer in power," Bush said.
He did not directly answer a question whether he needs to see the weapons of mass
destruction found and secured (the original justification for the war was that the
US must find and destroy these weapons).
Bush said, "The war will end when (general) Tommy Franks says we have achieved our
objective."
PTI
