Amid new allegations of terror sponsorship, a House committee voted to impose sanctions on Syria.
“The time has come to hold Syria accountable for its actions,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., according to the Associated Press.
The House International Relations Committee, approved 33-2 legislation reflecting U.S. accusations Damascus is financing terrorists, occupying Lebanon and developing weapons of mass destruction. U.S. officials also are concerned Syria might be allowing Islamic mercenaries to cross into Iraq and fight U.S. soldiers.
“It’s become increasingly clear which side Syria’s government has chosen in the war on terror,” House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas said, according to the AP.
In an effort to hold Syria accountable, Israel attacked a terrorist base near Damascus believed to be used by Islamic Jihad, which took responsibility for the Oct. 4 suicide attack that killed 19 people in Haifa.
Syria, on the U.S. list of terrorist-sponsoring nations, criticized the legislation through its official media.
The newspaper Teshreen called the policy’s sponsors “a group of extremists who are trying to increase tension between Arabs and the American administration,” according to Middle East Newsline.
If signed into law, the Syrian Accountability Act would require President Bush to select two penalties from a menu of options, including a ban on exports except food or medicine, a ban on business investment, reduction of diplomatic contact and freezing of Syrian assets in the United States.
The State Department said Damascus should not be surprised about the U.S. measures after failing to fulfill a promise to crack down on insurgency groups.
“We had told the Syrians that this type of move was likely, that we expected to see it,” said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. “There’s no particular reason or facts that one could go back to the Congress with and say, ‘This is a bad idea.'”
The bill, with 281 co-sponsors, is expected to pass the full House of Representatives next week. The Senate version has 76 co-sponsors.
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