Secretary of State Colin Powell asked Syria on Friday to help stem terrorism in the Middle East. Powell telephoned the request to Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa as he widened his appeal to Arab countries. Syria, itself, is listed by the State Department as a sponsor of terror. Spokesman Richard Boucher said Hamas and other groups had offices in Damascus. Powell on Thursday made similar appeals to the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In all the conversations, including the one with the Syrian minister, Powell’s message was “to stop the violence, to stop the violent groups,” Boucher said. “I think it is clear what we want,” Powell said Friday. “Hamas to stop it. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-Aqsa Brigades, all of them to stop it.” Full Story
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