SYRIA - May 2 - Powell Visits.

Visiting Damascus, US State Secretary Colin Powell says Washington is willing to work with Syria and Israel in an effort to reach a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East. He says he will go over the list of US concerns, including weapons of mass destruction and Damascus' support for terrorist groups, when he meets Pres. Bashar Al Assad later in the day. Powell says he understands the importance Damascus attaches to the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967 and occupied since then. The US is willing to work with both parties to find a solution, he adds. US Pres. Bush has communicated Washington's concerns by letter and is interested in a comprehensive settlement embracing Syria and Lebanon, as well as Israel and a future Palestinian state, Powell says. The US is looking for "specific action and performance on the part of the Syrian government that would reflect their understanding of this new situation", he says, referring to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the launch of the "road map" for peace between Israel and the PA on April 30. Analysts say Powell's remarks indicate the US is ready to embark on a protracted diplomatic process with Syria, provided that Assad matches his own call for a comprehensive settlement with a change in policy. Powell warned Damascus of the economic "consequences" it faced "over time" through the Patriot Act passed by Congress in 2001, and in the Syria Accountability Act in the early stages of becoming legislation. He gave no details. Although the US accuses Damascus of supporting terrorist groups and developing chemical and biological weapons, its sanctions against Damascus are mild compared with those imposed on Iran, North Korea and Libya.