WASHINGTON, March 17: The United States will soon announce new sanctions against Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said on Wednesday.

"There is not a question of sanctions; there will be sanctions and there will be very firm sanctions very soon," Mr Armitage said in a radio broadcast, whose transcript was provided by the State Department.

"It is correct that - to some extent, against Al Qaeda - that the Syrians have helped us. "It is equally correct that the combination of Iran and Syria have continually supported Hamas and Hezbollah," two groups that have bombed Israel. "So (Syria and Iran) they're kind of high up in my pantheon of supporters for terrorism." -AFP