October 17, 2003	Friday	Sha'aban 20, 1424

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WASHINGTON, Oct 16: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday night voted 398-4 to sanction Syria for its alleged ties to terrorist groups and purported efforts to obtain nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

The legislation, the Syria Accountability and Lebanse Sovereignty Act, also calls on Damascus to end its occupation of Lebanon.

President George Bush last week ended two years of opposition to the legislation, and has indicated he will sign it.

The legislation gives the White House a range of options for sanctioning Syria, from restricting US exports and business investment to downgrading Washington’s diplomatic representation and imposing travel restrictions on Syrian diplomats in the United States.

The bill also bans the exportation of “dual-use” technology, and allows the US government to freeze Syria’s assets in the United States.

“Syria is a government at war with the values of the civilized world and a violent threat to free nations and free men everywhere,” said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay after the vote. —AFP