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. Full Story