US wants to boost sanctions against Syria

Daily Times
Feb. 19, 2006

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that the United States wants to strengthen its sanctions against Syria and is trying to convince other nations to follow suit.

“We intend to use the Syrian Accountability Act and use it to its fullest,” the top US diplomat told Congress, referring to a 2003 law that allows the US administration to impose sanctions against Syria.

The law, which provides for a series of six diplomatic, economic and financial sanctions, was partially applied in May 2004 by President George W Bush, but some sanctions have yet to be used.

“The Syrian Accountability Act is a very important tool,” Rice told the House of Representatives International Relations Committee.

“We’ve used a great deal of it,” she recalled, but noted the law contained “a couple of pieces that we think might actually be more effective if we can get some multilateral support. “We have been working ... to try to see if we can get some more multilateral support.”

The Bush administration backs a United Nations probe into the murder a year ago of Rafiq Hariri and 20 other people. afp