CAIRO, 10 October 2005 — A top US diplomat said yesterday Washington was worried about Syrian interference in Iraq, Lebanon and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and said Damascus did not seem to be heeding US calls to keep out. David Welch also told reporters in Cairo that this month’s release of a UN report on the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri would probably be an occasion for the world to send a signal to Syria about its “misbehavior”.
“Our worries are not just with respect to the situation in Iraq but also with respect to Syrian interference in Lebanon and its renewed interference in the situation of the Palestinians and the Israelis,” said Welch, who is US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.
