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US President Bush declared Tuesday that "the regime of Saddam Hussein is no more," and that the United States would now shift its focus from combat to the search for weapons of mass destruction and the conversion of Iraq into a model of democracy in the Mideast.
But Mr. Bush acknowledged that American-led forces still faced sporadic fighting, and he did not declare final victory. The White House said he would not take that step until Gen. Tommy Franks declared that all of Washington's military objectives had been met -- a process that could take months.
Already Tuesday the Pentagon stopped the 24,000 troops of First Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Tex., from deploying to Iraq except for 700 military police and civil affairs specialists.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld pressed Syria further, announcing that American forces would shut off a major oil pipeline from Iraq to Syria. That pipeline has been a source of considerable revenue for the Syrian government, which has paid for the oil with goods sent to Iraq in violation of United Nations sanctions.
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell sought to calm the growing concern in the Middle East that the United States had broader military ambitions. He said there was "no war plan" for Syria and Iran, signaling that he planned to use diplomacy and the potent symbol of the quick American toppling of the Iraqi government to make his point.
"We have concerns about Syria," he said. "We have let Syria know of our concerns. We also have concerns about some of the policies of Iran. We have made the Iranians fully aware of our concerns," Secretary Powell told reporters. "But there is no list, there is no war plan right now to go attack someone else either for the purpose of overthrowing their leadership or for the purpose of imposing democratic values."
President Bush also took a phone call today from President Jacques Chirac of France, the first time the two leaders have had any extensive conversation since their public breach over France's refusal to back American military action in Iraq. The White House termed the call "businesslike," but said Mr. Chirac had joined the president in urging Syria not to harbor former Iraqi leaders.
(China Daily April 16, 2003)
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