Syria has said it is willing to co-operate with the United States in the interest of Iraqis but it would not close the offices of militant Palestinian groups, one of Washington's long-standing demands.
"Syria will always co-operate in things that serve the Iraqi people's interests," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.
The US has warned Syria not to give safe haven to any senior officials linked to Saddam Hussein and has accused it of sending military equipment and allowing fighters to cross into Iraq to fight US-led troops.
Syria, on a US list of states supporting terrorism, has denied these charges as well as the renewed accusation that it may be developing chemical weapons.
"Syria is a peace-oriented country that would like to see this region stable and secure, but of course with the full return of Arab rights," the spokeswoman said.
Syrian Foreign Minister Mr Farouq al-Shara said his government was willing to sign a treaty making the entire Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
"The Syrian government is ready to sign a treaty under UN supervision to make the whole Middle East a zone free from all mass destruction weapons, nuclear, chemical and biological," he said in an interview with Australian SBS television.
Meanwhile, Lebanese parliamentarians voted yesterday to retain Mr Rafik al-Hariri as prime minister a day after he resigned to pave the way for a government shuffle.
Mr Hariri noted 93 of 128 deputies had voted to keep him on to form the new Cabinet.
Mr Hariri presented his resignation as prime minister on Tuesday in a step that was seen as partly triggered by mounting US tensions with Lebanon's political master Syria.
Analysts had expected the resignation to usher in a still pro-Syrian government but with a broader popular base. This would have allowed Damascus to focus on tensions with Washington without having to worry about bickering in Lebanon, where it holds broad political and military sway.
"The Syrians do not want to manage problems in Lebanon when they have a problem on their eastern frontier," said Lebanese political commentator Mr Michael Young.
The Lebanese daily an-Nahar said a government change was "born in Damascus".
Analysts said Mr Hariri's resignation was a technical move, likely done with Syria's blessing, to allow him to reform the government with new ministers.
The previous Cabinet had been plagued by political bickering over key economic reforms and domestic politics, and analysts said it had outlived its usefulness, with Syria becoming tired of the spats.
Analysts say any threat to Damascus also puts pressure on Lebanon, home to the Syrian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas that helped to expel Israel from south Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year occupation.
Washington wants Syria to stop supporting Hizbollah, which also has representatives in the Lebanese parliament, deeming it a "terrorist" group.
"It is necessary for the new government to represent all parties," said Mr Arafat Hijazy, adviser to Parliament Speaker Mr Nabih Berri. - (Reuters)