WASHINGTON, April 3 (UPI) -- Syria continues to allow military equipment bound for Iraq to cross its borders, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday.
Efforts by "third countries" to encourage the Iraqi leadership to hang on to power while they attempt to cut a deal to end the war just lengthen the conflict, he said.
"There's not a chance that there's going to be a deal. It doesn't matter who proposes it, there will not be one," he said.
"There's no question but that some governments are discussing, from time to time ... cutting a deal. And the inevitable effect of it, let there be no doubt, is to give hope and comfort to the Saddam Hussein regime," he told a Pentagon press briefing.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers warned such efforts only add to the casualties on both sides.
"If that's done by other governments -- the one thing you know for sure ... it has the potential for both Iraqi civilian casualties and coalition casualties to increase," Myers said.
Pentagon sources say France and Russia might be trying to cut a deal to keep the government of Iraq intact but end the war. Both countries opposed the war in the U.N. Security Council.
Both also have major economic interests in Iraq. In January, Russia signed a multibillion-dollar contract to develop at least two Iraqi oil fields -- including one that produces 100,000 barrels per day -- when the U.N. oil-for-food program is lifted.
France's state-owned TotalFinaElf company is negotiating to explore the Majnoon field, which is estimated to have 20 billion to 30 billion barrels. Only 15 of Iraq's 74 discovered oil fields have been developed, according to oil industry analysts.
U.S. officials insist they have no interest in Iraqi oil fields and say the oil proceeds will go directly into Iraqi pockets and to fund post-war reconstruction.
France and Russia are not the only complications in Iraq. Last week, Rumsfeld issued a stern warning to Syria and Iran, the former for shipping military supplies including night-vision goggles to Iraqi forces, and the latter for allowing militia forces to cross the border.
The Syrian government denied the allegations at the time, but Rumsfeld said Syria continued to traffic in military equipment.
"We have seen that Syria is continuing to conduct itself the way it was prior to the time I said what I said," Rumsfeld said Thursday. Last week he said the United States would hold Syria "accountable" for its actions.
Asked how Iran had responded to last weeks warning, Rumsfeld said, "I have not seen anything recently on the part of Iran that ... is terribly disturbing."
UPI reported Thursday that U.S. intelligence learned last month Iran had decided to send irregular paramilitary units across their border with Iraq to harass American soldiers once Saddam Hussein's regime fell.
