Syria Supporting Hussein, `The Very Next Target`

As the Gulf War II comes to a close with Baghdad in the hands of U.S. forces, the world wonders what country the next target of the U.S. will be, following Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Financial Times reported April 10 that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Bolton said on April 9 that “Iran, Syria and North Korea, which intend to develop weapons of mass destruction, should learn a thing or two from the lessons of Iraq.”

“Washington will maintain the principle of removing nuclear program development peacefully for those nations currently in the process,” Bolton clarified, emphasizing that “they must realize that the development of weapons of mass destruction will not be beneficial to their national interest in any way.”

The Washington Post reported on April 8 that “the U.S. may target the Syrian government after Gulf War II,” in an article entitled, “Syria Looms as Next Goal.”

This newspaper report emphasized that Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said that “Syria should take responsibility for its behavior” on the TV talk show, `Meet the Press.`

The U.S. has accused Syria of allowing for safe passage of soldiers and supplies in order to support the Hussein government.

In a recent address at UCLA, former CIA Director James Wolsey, the man intended to take over the job of post-war reconstruction in Iraq, contends that the fascist government in Syria should be replaced.

British Minister of Defense Jeff Hun said in an address at the Denmark International Politics Research Institute that the strike-first option is a possibility in those countries that support terrorism and hide weapons of mass destruction.

The Financial Times said April 10 that U.S. officials also hope that the Iranian government be replaced by the Bush Administration as well.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and White House Advisor Condoleezza Rice have strongly warned of the Iranian government`s intention to develop nuclear weapons and its support of Palestinian armed factions such as Hizbollah of Lebanon.

Ja-Ryong Koo bonhong@donga.com