President Bush's new strategy on Iraq rejects proposals to enlist Syria's aid in ending Iraq's raging violence - a move Damascus calls a mistake that wrecks an opportunity to benefit both sides. In announcing plans to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq, Bush slammed Syria and its ally Iran, accusing both of supporting Iraqi militants and vowing that the U.S. military will break their lines of support.Bush also called on U.S. Arab allies Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia - which have rocky relations with Syria - to support Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. The call was seen in the Mideast as a bid to further isolate Damascus and Tehran. "It's an escalation devoid of any signs of peace," Syrian lawmaker Suleiman Hadad said Thursday of Bush's speech the night before. State-run newspapers predicted the new U.S. plan would fail and bring more violence to Iraq.
A few hours before Bush's speech, Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa said the American troop surge was "not a positive step" and would only "pour oil on the fire."