Media Reject Insurgent Smuggling Claims

Syrian media denied a report in an American newspaper which said that al-Qaeda insurgents are being smuggled into Iraq through Syria with the knowledge of Syrian secret services.



The pro-government daily, Al-Watan, said in a May 14 article that the information published recently by the Washington Post was “totally false”.



The Syrian daily quoted anonymous “well-informed” sources as saying that the timing of the newspaper’s story was “suspicious”. It cited what it said was US “perplexity in dealing with the security issues in Iraq”.



It said the press report was “erroneous” and argued that it came at a time when US forces are unable to control the rising level of violence in Iraq and relations between Damascus and Iraq are improving.



It accused what it said was the Israeli lobby in the US of standing behind the report in order to undermine the image of Syria in the media and hinder positive developments in relations between Damascus and Washington.



The daily claimed that Israel was “annoyed” with the new US policy of dialogue with Syria favoured by US president Barack Obama.