Iraqi vows to press US, Syria talks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- President Jalal Talabani of Iraq said in remarks aired yesterday he will push for dialogue between the United States and Syria, which he said was helping Baghdad clamp down on terrorism.

Talabani, who paid a landmark visit to Syria earlier this month, said he had not received any request to mediate between Damascus and Washington from either nation.

But, "I personally will seek to give a true picture about Syria's intentions and policy to the US administration and I will seek to encourage our American friends to have a dialogue with Syria," he told Al Arabiya television.

Iraqi and US officials have often accused Syria of not doing enough to stop the flow of militants crossing its Iraqi borders to fight US-led troops.

Damascus repeatedly said it was doing all it can to control the long desert border.

"It would be more appropriate for the United States to have a dialogue with Syria," Talabani said when asked what would be his advice to President Bush, who had rejected direct talks with Syria and Iran, ignoring a recommendation by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.

Syria and Iraq restored diplomatic ties only last month after a breach in the 1980s when Damascus, alone in the Arab world, sided with Tehran during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Talabani said during his visit to Syria, the first by an Iraqi president in 30 years, that Iraq would ask Syria to hand over senior aides to Saddam Hussein who were suspected of stealing millions of dollars and helping the anti-US insurgency