Rice demands Syria cooperate

Washington: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is threatening to bring Syria before the UN Security Council unless it cooperates with an investigation the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Rice claims that Syria has so far failed to heed UN Security Council warnings about its behavior in Lebanon and elsewhere.

Syria's president Bahshar Al Assad has already refused a request to be interviewed by the team investigating the killing.

She added that the United States opposes "any deals or compromises"that would undermine the investigation, she said.

In a statement, Rice said: "The United States has grave and continuing concerns about Syria's destabilizing behavior and sponsorship of terrorism.

"We call upon the Syrian regime to respond positively to the requests" of the U.N. investigator looking into Hariri's killing.

"We intend to refer this matter back to the Security Council if Syrian obstruction continues."