US Secretary of State Colin Powell heads to the Middle East region within the framework of reviving peace efforts. He is visiting Spain on Thursday, before making his way to Syria and Lebanon. Powell is to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday.
A trip to hold talks with the Israelis and Palestinians has been postponed for at least a week.
Testifying before a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday, Powell said he would make the case that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has dramatically changed circumstances in the Middle East and that Damascus should, as a result, rethink a range of policies.
He noted, for example, that U.S. forces have cut off an Iraqi pipeline that used to be a source of cheap oil to Syria and said the world was "losing patience" with those nations who seek weapons of mass destruction.
"The last several weeks have given Syria a rather sobering experience as to the changing circumstances in the region," Powell told the Senate Appropriations Committee's foreign operations subcommittee.
"No more subsidized oil coming your way, no more free oil coming your way. You want to take a look at that," he added.
"Syria got a clear indication that the world is losing patience with those nations that support terrorism, with those nations that continue to move down a path toward development of weapons of mass destruction, to those nations that do not mean well .... for their neighbors," he added.
On the Middle East peace process, Powell said "If Syria wants to be part of that comprehensive solution, then it has to review the policies it's been following with respect to the support of terrorist activities and the control they have over forces in Lebanon that present a threat to northern Israel." (Albawaba.com)
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