Powell arrives in Syria for 'candid' talks

Saturday, 3 May 2003 12:00 AM

The US Secretary of State has arrived for his first talks in Syria for almost a year.

Tensions between the two countries have been running high, with George Bush including Syria on his list of countries that sponsor terrorism. They believe that Syria supports various militant Arab groups who are opposed to peace with Israel.

The US has also accused Syria of providing a haven for fleeing senior Iraqis, and that it has provided technology - such as night vision goggles- to Iraq.

It is believed though that Powell will seek to emphasise that Syria is not on any 'hit list' for military action by the United States.

Before going in for talks, Colin Powell rejected Syria's proposal for a UN resolution seeking to rid the Middle East of all weapons of mass destruction. The proposal is clearly aimed at Israel, whom it is widely believed possess nuclear weapons and have failed to sign up to international treaties to prevent the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

The US is believed to fund the Israeli government to a tune of nearly $3bn in the average year. They have also previously given extra aid on request.

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