DAMASCUS, Sept 29: Syrian President Bashar al Assad slammed the United States-led invasion of Iraq as a “mistake” on Monday and said Damascus was not concerned it might be in US sights for a similar campaign.

Mr Assad, who denies US charges Syria is developing chemical weapons, questioned Washington’s policies in Iraq and said U.S-led forces should withdraw.

“I don’t think that the United States would make the same mistake (in Syria) it made in Iraq,” Mr Assad told an Italian newspaper on Monday in an interview reported by Syria’s state news agency SANA.

“Strong US threats were made against Syria immediately after the war on Iraq, but there was no evidence that a US attack would take place.”

A spat between Syria and the United States during the invasion raised concern in the region that Damascus might be Washington’s next target.

Washington, which has been demanding better Syrian cooperation with its Middle East policies, had accused Damascus of allowing anti-US militants to cross the Syrian-Iraqi border to launch attacks against US troops.

“If we were to be concerned, then our concern would be over the ramifications of the (Iraq) war (on Iraq) and those are the more dangerous ones,” Mr Assad said.

“This occupation should end...the Iraqis are now wondering when the occupation forces are going to withdraw, and if a deadline is not set they will resist the occupation in a variety of ways.”

Asked what he would say to US President George Bush if he met him, Mr Assad said: “I would ask him first where are the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction...and I would ask him where is the democracy in Iraq that they spoke of?

“Where is the better life that they promised the Iraqis after Saddam Hussein goes?”

He said unless Washington set a deadline for withdrawal, Damascus would not play any role in Iraq under “the US umbrella because we will be rejected by the Iraqi people as the Americans are”.

Syria has previously hinted it could send troops to help restore security in Iraq if Washington sets a timetable for pulling out and if it hands over reconstruction to the United Nations. —Reuters