No policy shift forecast in Damascus

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The stance from Damascus toward al-Qaida in the wake of a U.S. raid may soften, but it should not reflect a sweeping policy change, an analysis says.

U.S. forces entered Syrian territory through Iraq in a strike targeting top al-Qaida leaders there. Syria reports eight civilians, including a minor, were killed in the raid.

Syria has faced pressure from Western nations to do more to control its borders amid accusations that foreign fighters were using the country as a staging ground to launch attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq.

Meanwhile, a decision in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia to fine Damascus $414 million for "material support" for the killing of two U.S. contractors in Iraq in 2004 has reined the country in somewhat.

Support for terrorism, however, appears to be the policy of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, says a report Friday in the Weekly Standard, leaving Washington with few diplomatic options toward Damascus.

Though moderating Damascus would do much for regional stability, Syria has given little indication it is willing to change its behavior by abandoning its support for Tehran or terrorist movements.