Washington, Mar 26: The Bush administration has decided to delay new sanctions against Syria for backing anti-Israel militants, citing concerns about rising tensions in the region, and Congressional sources said. US President George W Bush had planned as early as this week to curb future investments by American energy firms in Syria and prohibit Syrian aircraft from flying into the United States. Bush was also expected either to block transactions involving the Syrian government or ban exports to Syria of US products other than food and medicine, the sources said. ''The situation on the ground in the Middle East warrants that the announcement be postponed,'' said one Congressional source briefed by the administration. The sources said the sanctions were now likely to be delayed until mid-April, underscoring US and international concerns their imposition could exacerbate tensions in the region following the assassination of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin by Israeli forces. Bush said earlier that he plans to send a delegation to the region next week to ''see if we can't keep the (peace) process alive.'' the US team will be led by Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, National Security Council Middle East chief Elliot Abrams and assistant Secretary Of State William Burns, officials said. Administration officials said Bush was not backing away from the sanctions, under legislation he signed into law in December known as the Syria accountability act. They said the decision to impose them had been made, but the timing was in flux.
The Syria accountability act offers bush a menu of sanctions to punish Damascus for backing ''terrorism'', failing to stop anti-US fighters from crossing into Iraq from Syrian soil, developing chemical and perhaps biological weapons, and keeping troops in Lebanon.
Bureau Report