Syria considered Israeli threats against it as part of a psychological war being waged, downplaying the significance of the sanctions outlined in the Syria Accountability Act passed by the U.S. Congress. Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam stated in a press conference in Damascus, “We are not worried, and we are not afraid. We decide whether the response is beneficial or not. We decide when the confrontation serves our interests or harms them.” Khaddam was responding to questions from numerous Arab and foreign journalists regarding statements by Israeli Chief of Staff General Moshe Ya’alon about the possibility of attacking Syria.
Israel conducted an airstrike on a site inhabited by Palestinian refugees on the outskirts of Damascus on October 5. The Syrian Vice President affirmed that the Israeli airstrike was a political message and not part of a military operation.
He played down the significance of the sanctions outlined in the Syria Accountability Act passed by the U.S. Congress, stating, “There is no U.S. trade or aid, and our economic relations are very limited. This matter is not of concern to us at all.”
It is expected that U.S. President George Bush will sign the law for it to take effect. Khaddam described the relations with the United States as tense, saying that U.S. policy has taken a different direction, adopting an Israeli perspective that contradicts our interests.
