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CNN.com - Bush: Syria, Iran harboring

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Monday, July 21, 2003 Posted: 2037 GMT ( 4:37 AM HKT)

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CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- President Bush on Monday

accused Syria and Iran of continuing to "harbor and assist
terrorists," an act he called "completely unacceptable."

After talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Bush said
continued terrorism is the biggest obstacle to an Israeli-Palestinian
peace agreement, and Middle Eastern governments should aid
progress "by fighting terrorism in all its forms."

"This includes the governments of Syria and Iran," he said.

"Today, Syria and Iran continue to harbor and assist terrorists. This
behavior is completely unacceptable, and states that support terror
will be held accountable."

The United States lists both countries as state sponsors of

terrorism because of their support for Palestinian militant groups
such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the State Department says. Both
countries have aided the United States in its war against al Qaeda,
but the United States has accused Iran of providing "virtual safe
haven" to some al Qaeda figures.

Bush administration officials have also accused Syria and Iran of

interfering in Iraq, where a U.S.-led occupation force is attempting
to restore order after the April ouster of Iraqi leader Saddam

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Hussein.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in April said intelligence

shows that Syria has allowed its citizens and others to cross the
border into Iraq armed with weapons and carrying leaflets that
indicate they'll be rewarded if they kill Americans and other
members of the coalition.

He said there also is intelligence indicating that some Iraqi people

have been allowed into Syria -- in some cases, to stay.

Syrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Bouthaina Shaaban at the

time denied that her country was giving refuge to officials of
Saddam's collapsed regime or has chemical weapons.

"Nobody even would even ask to come to us, because there is no

good relation at all" between Baghdad and Damascus, she said.

In 2002, Bush called Iran part of an "axis of evil," saying it was

attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction along with Iraq
and North Korea.

Earlier this year, the Bush administration raised questions about

whether Iran is harboring al Qaeda operatives. White House
officials said Iran had taken "insufficient" steps to round up al
Qaeda terrorists within its borders.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami in May denied U.S. charges

and urged delegates of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
to shun terrorism as well as superpower domination.

"Our world has suffered from both violent dogmatists and arrogant
powers," he said.

Bush's criticism of the country comes as Iranian students are

demanding changes in the country's Islamic leadership.

Some Iranian leaders last month accused the United States of

encouraging the demonstrators. Iran's Foreign Ministry said it had
filed a formal protest of what it called U.S. interference in Iran's
internal affairs.

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