Syria says it won’t bow to US pressure, vows Iraq support

"We have our own will and interests and such pressures are of no avail," Khaddam said of the proposed Syria Accountability Act. "… We are sure that such pressures would not have a negative impact on us."

The U.S. legislation would ban American firms from trading with Syria or investing in the country unless Damascus takes various steps, including ceasing its alleged support for terrorist groups and its alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.

Although sanctions could be a serious blow to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s goal of liberalizing the country’s economy, the government-run Tishrin newspaper also played down the impact of sanctions, stressing that the legislation would not be binding on other countries, especially European ones, that do business with Damascus.

"Syria is also aware that any sanctions to be imposed on it would have no big impact on it due to the lack of any big transactions between Syria and the U.S.," the editorial said. "The Americans are fully aware that the bigger loser would be the U.S. companies that deal with Syria."

Khaddam spoke to reporters before meeting a 20-member Iraqi delegation from the National Tribal Council.

Hussein Ali Shaalan, head of the delegation, said the group aimed to coordinate efforts with Syrian leaders in a bid to bring stability to Iraq.

Shaalan said the mounting Iraqi resistance against U.S. forces was "abnormal and unfavorable." But, he said, "like any occupation in the world, there must be a peaceful resistance, and sometimes resistance is legitimate."

Khaddam said the assassination operations "are not the correct way to face the critical circumstances through which Iraq is passing."

"What is more important is that Iraq restores its sovereignty and independence and to enable Iraqi people to determine its destiny," he said.

He stressed that all Iraqis are welcome in Syria "for dialogue and cooperation and for the benefit of Iraq and the Arab situation as a whole."

U.S. officials have recently renewed charges that Syria is allowing militants to cross into Iraq to kill U.S. soldiers and seeking to acquire and develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. They also complain that Syria continues its support for groups labeled terrorists by Washington.

Syria’s foreign minister, Farouk al-Sharaa, has rejected the charges that his country was not cooperating and said Syria was willing to meet "reasonable" demands within the framework of international legitimacy.