NICOSIA Ñ Syria claims merchant ships are avoiding the
nation's ports as a result of what officials termed an emerging U.S. blockade of the
Arab country which has recently become a member of the UN Security Council.
Syrian officials said warships from the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet are
stopping an increasing number of ships heading for Syria and Lebanon.
The result, they said, is that cargo ships are avoiding Syrian ports.
They said Syrian exports have also been affected.
Western diplomatic sources said the U.S. effort is aimed at stopping the
relocation of Al Qaida insurgents as well as exports of dual-use or military
equipment headed for Iraq. The sources said Syria has become a leading
conduit of smuggling to the regime of President Saddam Hussein, Middle East Newsline reported.
"These operations are intended to deny the Mediterranean to anyone who
would use it for any activities related to terrorism," a statement by the
U.S. European Command in Germany.
The sources said Syria has ignored previous appeals by Washington to
stop the illegal trade with Iraq, which includes the import of more than
200,000 barrels of oil a day from Baghdad through a revived pipeline. Syria
has denied that it is obtaining the oil.
The Syrian business weekly Al Iqtissadiya has described the U.S. naval
operations as a blockade. The newspaper reported that last week U.S. naval
forces stopped and inspected two Syrian ships. The ships were boarded by
U.S. sailors and were found to have contained citrus fruit loaded in Turkey.
Syria has protested the U.S. naval inspections and the Foreign Ministry
has termed them a violation of international law.
The U.S. naval operations come as Syria seeks funding for the extension
of its port at Latakia. Japan has pledged $70 million for the project but
wants assurances from Damascus that the port will not be used for miltiary
purposes.
In Washington, officials said the Bush administration has been careful
not to publicize its dispute with Syria. In an address to the Heritage
Foundation in Washington on Monday, U.S. envoy to the United Nations John
Negroponte cited Syria's membership to the UN Security Council.
"The short answer to that question would be, 'Carefully'," Negroponte
said in response to a question on how the United States should treat Syria.
"We will be watching their behavior on the council very carefully."
