The United States does not appear to have any plans to attack Syria.

Officials said the Bush administration has agreed to an effort to undermine the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. But they said President George Bush has not approved any military attack on Syria.

Officials said Syria continues to facilitate the flow of funds by Saddam-sponsored insurgents to operatives in Iraq. They said the funds have enabled Sunni insurgents to purchase weapons, Middle East Newsline reported.

Officials said the Defense Department has advocated limited military strikes on Syria to prevent the flow of insurgents and money into Iraq. But the White House has rejected the Pentagon plans.

"U.S. Special Forces are not going into Syria," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said on Jan. 11. "It is simply fanciful."

"I don't think anybody's talking about counter-attacks or talking military attacks on Syrian targets," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said.

Armitage returned from talks in Damascus with Assad in early January. He said the Assad regime has improved security and was stopping the flow of Islamic volunteers into Iraq sent to fight the U.S.-led coalition.

"That situation is much better, I think, because the Syrian authorities are stopping foreign fighters from going to Iraq," Armitage said. "What we'd like to see is much more activity by the Syrian authority and special services in stopping former regime elements from Iraq in traveling back and forth."

Armitage said the administration has warned Syria to halt the flow of financing and insurgents. But he said the Assad regime has responded to the U.S. appeals, adding that Damascus has demonstrated what he termed "a new seriousness about controlling the border."

"I think there's no question that they're busy financing from Syria," Armitage said. "I think it's a little hard to actually direct from Syria.

You'd have to be a little more involved. But the financing allows people to purchase weapons, to cause difficulties for the Iraqi people."