The US Secretary of State Colin Powell says he plans to have a "good, strong, candid" dialogue with Syrian officials when he travels to Damascus.
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Mr Powell: wants 'candid' dialogue
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In a televised interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation he said he had "issues with the Syrian government that I am going there to talk about".
He said these include alleged support for terrorist organisations, development of weapons of mass destruction and a need to seal the border with Iraq to stop former officials from taking refuge in Syria.
"I will not hold back the strength of our feelings on these positions," he added. "I am sure they are not going to hold back on responding".
Mr Powell is planning a stop in Damascus, his third, as part of a trip to the Middle East, probably in early May. On it, he will try to prod Israel and the Palestinians back into talks for creation of a Palestinian state.
PA