Rice threatens Syria with 'isolation'

"It is time for Syria to demonstrate that it does not want to be isolated, that it does not want to have bad relations with the United States," Rice said after talks here with Italy's Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini.

In a joint press conference dominated by the Middle East as Israeli and Palestinian leaders met in Egypt to discuss a ceasefire, the US official had harsh words for Syria, saying it has been "unhelpful" by supporting Islamic militants intent on wrecking the process.

"I can't say it strongly enough. You can't say on one hand that you want a process of peace and on the other hand support the people who are determined to blow it up."

"Syria has been unhelpful in a number of ways" including support for terrorists and militants operating out of South Lebanon, she said.

"There's a long list and while we sometimes make what I call minimal progress, it is by no means the kind of progress we need to make," said Rice, making her first foreign tour since succeeding Colin Powell as President George W. Bush's top envoy last month.

She said the Islamic militants opposed to a Middle East peace "cannot be allowed to continue to try to orchestrate the process".

Washington has imposed trade and investment sanctions against Syria under the Syrian Accoun-tability Act passed at the end of 2003 but US officials acknowledge they have nothing new in the pipeline beyond the latest sanctions imposed last May.

"The ties of Syria or Iran to these terrorist organisations really need to be the subject of more discussion not just by the Israelis and Palesti-nians but of course the Europeans and we as well," said Rice.