Kuwait Says Syria Is Stopping Iraqi Infiltrators/Daily Star (New WMW)

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2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Wednesday, November 24, 2004

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=10356

KUWAIT SAYS SYRIA IS STOPPING IRAQI INFILTRATORS

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

DAMASCUS: Kuwait revealed Tuesday that Syria had detained at least five of its nationals for trying to enter Iraq illegally, weakening U.S. charges that Damascus was turning a blind eye to militant infiltrators.



"In the past few months, at least five Kuwaiti citizens tried to cross the Syrian border into Iraq illegally," said Kuwaiti Ambassador to Damascus, Suleiman Ibrahim al-Marjan.



After their arrest and interrogation by Syrian security forces, they were handed over to the embassy for repatriation, he added.



The revelation came amid renewed U.S. accusations that Syria was failing to deliver on a September agreement for joint patrols and other measures to stem the flow of militants across its 600-kilometer border with Iraq.



"The Syrians have taken steps recently but we think there is a lot more they can do and we are looking for greater opportunities to work with the Syrians," Secretary of State Colin Powell said after talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara on the sidelines of an international Iraq conference.



(SNIP)

Otherwise, what excuse will we have for invading Syria?

Oh, yeah. Saddam's WMDs. I forgot.

I have exited this country several times. I don't recall being checked by the country I have left, but rather by the country I am entering. If the US wan't to control the entry of foreigners into Iraq, let them do it on the Iraqi side of the border.