Syria has accused the United States of bowing to pressure from pro-Israeli interests by imposing sanctions on Damascus.
A new law signed by US President George W Bush last night includes a ban on the sale of weapons to Syria and allows for the freezing of Syrian assets in the US.
The action is aimed at punishing Syria for its alleged links to terrorism and attempts to procure weapons of mass destruction.
In a first reaction, the official Syrian news agency said Israel's friends in the US Congress had worked actively for the adoption of the law
