U.S. warns Syria on weapons transfers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States summoned the senior Syrian diplomat in Washington on Monday to address "provocative behavior" regarding the potential transfer of Scud missiles to Hezbollah that it said could be a threat to both Lebanon and Israel.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the transfer of any arms, and especially ballistic missile systems such as the SCUD, from Syria to Hezbollah," the statement, issued by State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid, said.

"The transfer of these arms can only have a destabilizing effect on the region, and would pose an immediate threat to both the security of Israel and the sovereignty of Lebanon."

The U.S. statement stopped short of confirming the alleged transfer of long-range Scud missiles to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, which if true could cast doubt on U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic outreach to Syria.

The State Department said this was the fourth time in recent months that Washington has raised the issue with the Syrian Embassy.

U.S. officials said last week they believed Syria intended to transfer the weaponry, but had doubts about whether the missiles were delivered fully assembled or had actually been transferred to Lebanon.

Damascus has denied the transfer and said Israel might be using the accusation as a pretext for a military strike against Syrian targets.

WARNING TO DAMASCUS

The U.S. statement was a strong warning to Damascus, saying that weapons transfers were an obstacle to the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians and noting that Syria's designation as a "state sponsor of terrorism" was tied to its support for groups such as Hezbollah.

"The risk of miscalculation that could result from this type of escalation should make Syria reverse the ill-conceived policy it has pursued in providing arms to Hezbollah," the statement said.

"We call for an immediate cessation of any arms transfers to Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations in the region."

A senior U.S. official, while declining to confirm any U.S. intelligence related to the Scuds, said the statement was a sign that the allegations were being taken seriously.

"We wouldn't have called them in if we didn't think something was going on," the official said.

The alleged deal to transfer the Scud missiles to Hezbollah has fueled cross-border tensions with Israel, which remains wary of the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Islamist group that it went to war with in 2006.

With Iranian support, Hezbollah has replenished its arsenal beyond levels it had in the 2006 war with Israel, according to a Pentagon report on Iran's military sent to Congress and made public on Monday.

Scud missiles in Hezbollah hands could strike deep inside Israel, while a partial transfer could involve weapons parts, documents or funding, according to U.S. officials.

If the transfer is confirmed, it could create fresh obstacles to U.S. Senate confirmation of a new ambassador being returned to Damascus after a five-year absence.

The Obama administration has said that improved U.S. diplomatic ties with Syria are an important part of the Mideast peace process.

(Additional reporting by Joanne Allen, Editing by Philip Barbara)