Washington: US believes that its success in Iraq has "frightened" potential targets Syria, Iran and North Korea into "curtailing their links to terrorism and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)".

"The world is changing and these are the consequence of demonstration of US military prowess in Iraq which has frightened Syria, Iran and North Korea into curtailing links to terrorism and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction," officials in the Bush administration said.

North Korea's decision on April 12 to drop its longstanding position that it would only meet one-on-one with US officials to discuss its nuclear programme is viewed by these officials as a sign that the North Korean government has been shaken by America's "quick dispatch of the Iraqi government and is now more willing to compromise".

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France, Germany, Russia and others who fiercely opposed US action on Iraq also are worried especially after National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice's suggestion that the US policy towards the three main opponents of war should be "punish France, ignore Germany and forgive Russia".

With Bush administration putting Syria and Iran on notice closely watching their behaviour, both the countries have emerged as potential flashpoints.

The Pentagon, it notes, has taken the lead in challenging Syria, with officials accusing it of secretly aiding Iraq by letting military goods and backers of the Saddam Hussein government slip over the border.

"The concern we are raising about Syria," said Deputy Secretary of State Paul Wolfowitz last week, "is that in recent days the Syrians have been shipping killers into Iraq to try to kill Americans."

PTI