Manama: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on April 14 that Syria, which has
been accused by the United States of harbouring Iraqi leaders and having chemical
weapons, was not the next coalition target after the war on Iraq.
"We have made it clear that there are no plans for Syria to be next on the list ...
but there are questions that the Syrians need to answer," Straw told reporters at a
brief press conference at the British Embassy.
"What we believe is that there is an important agenda for discussion with the Syrian
government," Straw said of whether Syria was harbouring former Iraqi leadership and
has weapons of mass destruction.
US President George W Bush on April 14 warned Syria not to harbour Iraqi leaders and
charged that Damascus has chemical weapons, but was careful not to threaten military
action.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the
weekend and Straw said he spoke to his Syrian counterpart Farouk al-Sharaa on April
11. He said Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien was heading to Syria on April 14 to
follow up on those discussions.
Straw arrived in Bahrain on April 13 on the first-leg of a Gulf tour to discuss the
reconstruction of Iraq. He met Bahrain's King, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on
April 13 night.
Bahrain has a "very important role to play in the reconstruction and redevelopment
of Iraq", Straw told reporters.
