Syria Warns 'Gates of Hell Will Open' if U.S. Attacks

[Gloria]

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Wednesday, October 12, 2005

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=19252



SYRIA WARNS ‘GATES OF HELL WILL OPEN’ IF U.S. ATTACKS

By Leila Hatoum, Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: In the latest official Syrian comment on the increasing pressure on Damascus, Premier Naji Otari said "all the gates of hell will open on the U.S. if it attempts to attack Syria." Otari was replying to a report this week in Newsweek magazine revealing that Washington had debated launching military strikes inside Syria against camps used by insurgents operating in Iraq.



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Otari also accused Lebanese officials of being unable to make an independent decision, saying they were answerable to the French and U.S. ambassadors to Lebanon.



Addressing his Lebanese counterpart Fouad Siniora, the Syrian premier said: "Apparently Siniora forgot all of what we have discussed when he visited Damascus after his recent return from a visit to the U.S."



Siniora had held talks with several officials in Damascus to resolve a border dispute between the two countries in June.



Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat reported yesterday Otari had refused to answer repeated phone calls from Siniora on Monday.



The paper quoted unidentified "informed Syrian sources in Damascus" as saying the Assad regime believes Siniora has reneged on promises he made to the Syrian president during a visit on July 31.

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