<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Re: [lbo-talk] Bush as the lesser imperialist evil</title></head><body> <div>Bush bans most exports to Syria; oil flow could be slowed</div> <div>By Associated Press<br> <i>Wednesday, May 12, 2004</i><br> </div> <div>WASHINGTON - President Bush is tightening the U.S. economic squeeze on Syria with a ban on all American exports to the Arab country except food and medicine...</div> <div><br></div> <div>...``President Bush did everything within his power to send a message through diplomatic channels that Syria should not support groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, but it has continued to do so,'' said U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., chairwoman of the House International Relations Middle East subcommittee...</div> <div><br> ...John Kerry, Bush's probable Democratic opponent in November's election, endorsed the sanctions but said Bush had waited too long to impose them.<br> <br> ``The administration had previously acknowledged that Syria has failed to adequately police its border with Iraq, may be developing weapons of mass destruction and provides support to terrorist groups,'' the Massachusetts senator said.<br> </div> <div>``Given all these troubling facts, it is unfortunate that President Bush failed to impose sanctions until now.''...</div> </body> </html>