They shouldn't bomb Afghanistan - these poor people have suffered enough

Taxi driver

Syria has condemned the 11 September plane attacks as "horrific acts" but is not rushing to join the coalition.

But on the other hand there is little sympathy here for Osama Bin Laden. Secular yet conservative, the country has fought its own relentless war against Islamists for the past two decades.

"I do admire the Taleban and Bin Laden and how they are trying to bring Islam back to its pure form of the days of the prophet," says Dalal Rajabasha, who is visiting the annual Damascus book fair.

"But, as a woman, I'm glad I don't live in Afghanistan. No working, no watching television - it's terrible."

One cab driver launches into a tirade. He is upset because he thinks Bin Laden is disfiguring Islam and making life difficult for Muslims around the world.

"Why doesn't Bin Laden help the Afghan people with all his money by building hospitals and schools, instead of wasting it in a war against the US?" he says.

US opposition

But like the vast majority of Arabs and Muslims he strongly opposes the US strikes against Afghanistan.

"They shouldn't bomb Afghanistan - these poor people have suffered enough. After all, Bin Laden is Saudi, maybe the US should bomb Saudi Arabia."

But there are no fiery anti-US statements. And demonstrations, which require government permission, have not been held since the strikes against Afghanistan started.

Fashionably secular: Syrian women can work and dress as they please

Ordinary Syrians now fear their country might become the next target, since US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage mentioned Syria when he said that targets in the campaign include all groups threatening the interests of the United States and its allies.

Diplomats here discount the possibility of a military strike but believe pressure in another form is possible.

They say it is still too early to determine what kind of deal can be struck between the US and Syria, if any.

Syrian MP Yasser Nahlawi told the BBC that Syria "would not spare any efforts to help a UN-led campaign against terrorism but terrorism needs to be clearly defined".

This is one of the main points of contention between the US and the Arab world, which has been demanding that a difference be made between terrorism and national resistance movements.

Unpopular allies

Syria backs the Lebanese Shiite guerrilla, Hezbollah which was credited with ousting the Israelis out of south Lebanon last May.

But Hezbollah is on the US list of terrorist groups, along with Palestinian groups who reject the peace process that are based in Syria, such as the PFLP-General Command, Abu Nidal and Fatah Intifada.

This is one of the main reasons why Syria is still on the US list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Syria has officially complained to the US about Armitage's remarks but none of the usual fiery comments Syria is known for are coming out of Damascus this time.

There is obviously a realization that the nation's every step will be watched in the delicate next phase, especially as a newly elected member for a two year non permanent seat at the UN Security Council.