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CNN Live Saturday

Syria Bans Iraqis Without Visas From Entering Country

Aired April 19, 2003 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Syria has reportedly banned Iraqis without visas from entering the country to counter the charge that it's sheltering members of Saddam Hussein's regime. The Associated Press says airlines sources have confirmed the move. CNN's senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar has more from Damascus on Syria's relationship with the U.S. Are they feeling a little more assured these days, Sheila?
SHEILA MACVICAR CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, you could have heard the sigh of relief all over Damascus when the Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that he would be coming here soon. The Syrians had actually anticipated that after the barrage, the kind of megaphone diplomacy, if you will, over the last number of days from senior administration officials, from Secretary of State Colin Powell, from Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, and from the president himself, they had anticipated that when the secretary of state said he would come to Syria, come to Damascus, that that might happen sometime soon, perhaps even in the next four or five days.

It now appears because of other events taking place in the Middle East it seems mostly waiting for the Palestinians' new prime minister to finally confirm a cabinet, that that visit may be delayed by some time, and that will make the Syrians more nervous again. The administration has very successfully ratcheted up the pressure. They certainly have the attention of the Syrians, and of course the question now is, how are they going to keep that pressure on them -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Sheila, we know that because the Syrians have said so that they have closed their borders to anyone, and you have already pointed out, it's a very long border. So clearly there's a possibility people could still slip across. But they did stop, they say, Abu Abbas two times from trying to cross the border. He's the mastermind of the Achille Lauro hijacking. Do you think that the message of that megaphone diplomacy has kind of scared Syria straight?

MACVICAR: I don't know about scaring Syria. I mean, there is a question, as you've said. The Syrians are now considering applications or questions from Iraqis on an individual basis. You remember there was a story earlier in the week about a guy named Farouk Hijazi, who was then Iraq's ambassador to Tunisia. There was talk from the U.S. administration that he had landed in Syria. Syrian officials that I talked to had said absolutely not so.

It now appears that the U.S. has very good intelligence, which says in fact Farouk Hijazi at least came here, and they know that because the Americans went to Tunisians, a very close American ally, and said please give us Mr. Hijazi. The Tunisians refused, Mr. Hijazi got on a plane and came to Damascus, and where he is now is an open question. But it is clear at least that Farouk Hijazi did land at the Damascus Airport. Whether he was permitted into country, whether he is still here, whether he has gone elsewhere is an open question.

There are -- there is at least one other person who has been named by U.S. officials at the Pentagon as possibly being here, but much of the intelligence describing the presence of Iraqi officials here is described as fragmentary and not particularly of good value -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: That's right, and after all, these two governments haven't gotten along for 30 years. Sheila MacVicar in Damascus, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired April 19, 2003 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Syria has reportedly banned Iraqis without visas from entering the country to counter the charge that it's sheltering members of Saddam Hussein's regime. The Associated Press says airlines sources have confirmed the move. CNN's senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar has more from Damascus on Syria's relationship with the U.S. Are they feeling a little more assured these days, Sheila?
SHEILA MACVICAR CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrea, you could have heard the sigh of relief all over Damascus when the Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that he would be coming here soon. The Syrians had actually anticipated that after the barrage, the kind of megaphone diplomacy, if you will, over the last number of days from senior administration officials, from Secretary of State Colin Powell, from Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, and from the president himself, they had anticipated that when the secretary of state said he would come to Syria, come to Damascus, that that might happen sometime soon, perhaps even in the next four or five days.

It now appears because of other events taking place in the Middle East it seems mostly waiting for the Palestinians' new prime minister to finally confirm a cabinet, that that visit may be delayed by some time, and that will make the Syrians more nervous again. The administration has very successfully ratcheted up the pressure. They certainly have the attention of the Syrians, and of course the question now is, how are they going to keep that pressure on them -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Sheila, we know that because the Syrians have said so that they have closed their borders to anyone, and you have already pointed out, it's a very long border. So clearly there's a possibility people could still slip across. But they did stop, they say, Abu Abbas two times from trying to cross the border. He's the mastermind of the Achille Lauro hijacking. Do you think that the message of that megaphone diplomacy has kind of scared Syria straight?

MACVICAR: I don't know about scaring Syria. I mean, there is a question, as you've said. The Syrians are now considering applications or questions from Iraqis on an individual basis. You remember there was a story earlier in the week about a guy named Farouk Hijazi, who was then Iraq's ambassador to Tunisia. There was talk from the U.S. administration that he had landed in Syria. Syrian officials that I talked to had said absolutely not so.

It now appears that the U.S. has very good intelligence, which says in fact Farouk Hijazi at least came here, and they know that because the Americans went to Tunisians, a very close American ally, and said please give us Mr. Hijazi. The Tunisians refused, Mr. Hijazi got on a plane and came to Damascus, and where he is now is an open question. But it is clear at least that Farouk Hijazi did land at the Damascus Airport. Whether he was permitted into country, whether he is still here, whether he has gone elsewhere is an open question.

There are -- there is at least one other person who has been named by U.S. officials at the Pentagon as possibly being here, but much of the intelligence describing the presence of Iraqi officials here is described as fragmentary and not particularly of good value -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: That's right, and after all, these two governments haven't gotten along for 30 years. Sheila MacVicar in Damascus, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com