From the International Herald-Tribune
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House Unit Votes for Sanctions on Syria
by Brian Knowlton
As White House ends opposition, test for Arab ties is seen
WASHINGTON: A House of Representatives committee voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions on Syria after the White House, deeply frustrated in its diplomatic contacts with Damascus, dropped its opposition to such punitive steps.
The House International Relations Committee voted 33-2 for the Syria Accountability Act, which demands that Damascus halt support for terrorism, end any programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
The full House, where 275 of 435 members co-sponsored the bill, is expected to pass the measure next week. The bill also has strong bipartisan support in the Senate, where the Foreign Relations Committee is planning to examine the measure this month.
In acknowledging that the White House had ended two years of opposition to the legislation, a spokesman, Scott McClellan, said, "Syria needs to change course, change its behavior, stop harboring terrorists." The administration had held that such punitive legislation could intrude on the president's foreign policy prerogatives, damage broader Middle East peace efforts and undercut any Syrian cooperation in the war on terrorism.
Despite such past concerns, said Richard Boucher, the State Department spokesman, "Frankly, the Syrians have done so little with regard to terrorism that we don't have a lot to work with." They continue to have "terrorist groups operating with offices and activities there, some training facilities, transshipments" of weapons or money - and when asked to halt, had taken only "very, very, very small steps." The White House decision followed the Israeli air attack on a Syrian camp that Israel described as a terrorist training center; this came in retribution for a suicide bombing that killed 19 in the Israeli port city of Haifa.
Passage of the Syria bill would further inflame U.S. relations with many Arab countries, already strained by the war with Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Full story is here.
A related story and analysis by The Guardian is here.
Phaedrus
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
House Unit Votes for Sanctions on Syria
by Brian Knowlton
As White House ends opposition, test for Arab ties is seen
WASHINGTON: A House of Representatives committee voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions on Syria after the White House, deeply frustrated in its diplomatic contacts with Damascus, dropped its opposition to such punitive steps.
The House International Relations Committee voted 33-2 for the Syria Accountability Act, which demands that Damascus halt support for terrorism, end any programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
The full House, where 275 of 435 members co-sponsored the bill, is expected to pass the measure next week. The bill also has strong bipartisan support in the Senate, where the Foreign Relations Committee is planning to examine the measure this month.
In acknowledging that the White House had ended two years of opposition to the legislation, a spokesman, Scott McClellan, said, "Syria needs to change course, change its behavior, stop harboring terrorists." The administration had held that such punitive legislation could intrude on the president's foreign policy prerogatives, damage broader Middle East peace efforts and undercut any Syrian cooperation in the war on terrorism.
Despite such past concerns, said Richard Boucher, the State Department spokesman, "Frankly, the Syrians have done so little with regard to terrorism that we don't have a lot to work with." They continue to have "terrorist groups operating with offices and activities there, some training facilities, transshipments" of weapons or money - and when asked to halt, had taken only "very, very, very small steps." The White House decision followed the Israeli air attack on a Syrian camp that Israel described as a terrorist training center; this came in retribution for a suicide bombing that killed 19 in the Israeli port city of Haifa.
Passage of the Syria bill would further inflame U.S. relations with many Arab countries, already strained by the war with Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Full story is here.
A related story and analysis by The Guardian is here.
Phaedrus
