Syria hopes Obama to change U.S. foreign policy

Source: Xinhua | 11-06-2008 11:10

Damascus, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal expressed hope that U.S. president-elect Barak Obama would bring change in the big power's foreign policy, the official SANA news agency reported.

Bilal made the remarks while meeting with a visiting Cuban delegation, hoping that Obama would "change the U.S. foreign policy from a policy of war and siege to one of diplomacy and dialogue."

He also hoped that "the U.S. siege imposed on Cuba will be lifted soon," SANA said.

The Syrian official, meanwhile, affirmed the depth and strength of Syrian-Cuban relations and the need to develop them.

Syria has been blacklisted by Washington as a sponsor of terrorism and under continuous U.S. isolation.

Syria's icy relations with Washington, starting in 2003 when Damascus strongly objected the U.S. war on Iraq, became more tense following the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in Feb. 2005, after which Washington withdrew its ambassador to Syria Margaret Scobey and never sent her back.

The U.S. has been accusing Syria of not doing enough to stop anti-U.S. militants and weapons from entering Iraq and destabilizing situations there.

The Syrian-U.S. ties witnessed a new low recently after U.S. military helicopters launched a cross-border raid ten days ago in a Syrian village, killing eight Syrian civilians.

The Syrian cabinet has decided close a U.S. School and Cultural Center in Damascus.

The U.S. State Department and White House have made no confirmation or denial to the incident, refusing to comment on the attack.

U.S. officials, however, have explained that the raid killed a top operative of al-Qaida in Iraq who intelligence suggested was about to conduct an attack in Iraq.

Editor:Zheng Limin