SYRIA, Libya and Cuba are to become new members of America’s “axis of evil”. John Bolton, the US Under-Secretary of State, said all three were intent on developing weapons of mass destruction and were a threat to the United States and its allies.

The original so-called “axis of evil” states were named by Mr Bush in his State of the Union speech in January last year as Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Speaking at the US Embassy in London, Mr Bolton made it clear that in Washington’s view the axis was expanding. “We’re now turning our attention to Iran, Syria, Libya and Cuba,” he said. Iraq had now been dealt with, he added. Weapons of mass destruction had not yet been found, though a clear intent and potential capability had been uncovered.

When he made the speech naming the original three countries, some had criticised it as the words of an “unsophisticated American”. However, in the past 18 months, Mr Bolton said, everything Mr Bush had warned about had been corroborated. North Korea was now under diplomatic pressure to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, and Iran was clearly trying to develop the bomb and long-range ballistic missiles before the end of the decade.

Mr Bolton accused Libya of making increased efforts to purchase components for biological and chemical weapons after United Nations trade sanctions were lifted last month, but his most serious concerns centred on Syria, indicating that the high-pressure diplomatic efforts aimed at Damascus in the past two years had failed.

America already has sanctions in place against Iran, Libya and Cuba, and soon is expected to bring into force a set of punitive measures against Syria, which it accuses of backing terrorist groups, building weapons of mass destruction and occupying neighbouring Lebanon.

Mr Bolton said the level of co-operation the US was getting from Syria was “not satisfactory”, and he issued a warning that the US Congress was “poised” to vote in favour of sanctions against Damascus.

On Wednesday the Syria Accountability Act was passed by the Congressional International Relations Committee after the White House signalled that it had dropped its longstanding opposition. The Act would ban the sale of dual-use equipment to Syria and give President Bush the choice of imposing two of six possible sanctions aimed at limiting diplomatic contacts, cutting off trade and halting air links.

Although trade between the two countries is limited, the political impact could have serious ramifications in the region. America has maintained close diplomatic ties with Damascus for decades. For a brief period, after the September 11 attacks on America, Damascus appeared to be co-operating with Washington in the war on terrorism and rapprochement between the two countries seemed possible.

Since then, however, relations have deteriorated sharply, with Washington accusing Damascus of allowing fighters to cross the border into Iraq to attack US forces. Syria’s support for militant Palestinian groups responsible for suicide attacks in Israel has also hardened attitudes in Washington.

Imad Mustafa, the Syrian chargé d’affaires in Washington, said: “This is a blatant double standard that can rarely be met in international diplomacy.” Syria is already greatly concerned about the presence of tens of thousands of American troops across its border in Iraq and the bombing raid by Israeli jets on Sunday against a target north of Damascus. The raid was the first in three decades and appeared to have the tacit approval of the White House.

THE NEW LAW

Findings: Syria is on a State Department list of terror- sponsoring nations and harbours terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestine Islamic Jihad. It occupies Lebanon illegally with more than 20,000 troops; Syria is amassing WMD and Scud missiles; Syria has severely violated UN sanctions against Iraq. It armed the Iraqi Army during the US military campaign

Conditions: Syria must end support for terrorism; end its occupation of Lebanon; stop producing WMD and long- range ballistic missiles; stop arming Iraqi war machine

Penalties: Ban sales of dual- use items to Syria

President selects two of six sanctions against Syria:

1. Export ban; 2. Prohibit US businesses from operating in Syria; 3. Restrict Syrian diplomats in US; 4. Block Syrian airline flights; 5. Reduce US diplomatic contacts with Syria; 6. Freeze Syrian assets

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