Syrian president said U.S. never gave evidence on insurgents

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the United States never has given any evidence to Syria to back its assertion that insurgents are crossing into Iraq from Syria, despite repeated requests to provide even one passport, one name.

Assad also told visiting American editors in an interview at his palace that the US sanctions inposed on Syria based in part on the infiltration claim ignore the cooperation Syria has provided to the Bush administration in combating terrorism.

Syria is still assessing the impact that the sanctions will have, he said, downplaying them as symbolic.