The United States warned Syria to turn away fleeing supporters of Saddam Hussein, shun weapons of mass destruction, and sever ties to terrorism, or face economic and diplomatic sanctions. Top aides to US President George W. Bush stopped well short of threatening military action against Syria, but said all options remained on the table and warned Damascus to take stock of the US-led rout of Saddam's regime.

"Gone is the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Next, hopefully, is a reexamination by Syria and, perhaps, others about how they conduct their affairs," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Damascus had conducted a chemical weapons test during the last 12-15 months, and that Washington has had intelligence that Syria has allowed Syrians and others enter Iraq with arms and leaflets indicating that they would be rewarded for killing Americans.

"What the president is hopeful of is that, in the outcome of this war, nations will examine the decisions they have previously made and hopefully make new decisions based on new reality in the Middle East," said Fleischer.

Amid growing US scrutiny of Syria as the Iraq war wound down, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the Bush administration "will examine possible measures of a diplomatic, economic or other nature as we move forward."

Powell did not say what sanctions would be considered but officials said Washington could consider recalling its ambassador to Damascus. It could also downgrade diplomatic relations as it did once in 1986.

Syria, which has denied possessing weapons of mass destruction, is already subject to some US sanctions as it is designated a "state sponsor of terrorism" by the State Department.

'Untested' Leader

"They do, indeed, harbor terrorists. Syria is a terrorist state," said Fleischer, who told reporters that its "untested" leader, President Bashar al-Assad, "has a chance to be a leader who makes the right decisions."

"We hope he does," said the spokesman, who refused to detail which "Iraqi leaders" have sought refuge in Syria.

Bush urged Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar by telephone to help build pressure on Syria to turn away any fugitive Saddam backers, Spanish officials said. US officials would only confirm that the two allies spoke.

On Sunday, Bush charged Syria had chemical weapons and renewed the allegation that remnants of Saddam's regime and his Baath party had found refuge there.

Arab Leaders & UN Secretary General Express Concern

Britain and Israel have made similar allegations, all denied by Syria, and other Arab states have expressed concern at the mounting pressure on the Damascus regime.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday that al-Assad had promised to close his borders to fleeing Iraqis, adding: "I believe they are doing that."

And Blair told the House of Commons that Britain and the United States had no plans to invade Syria, despite the US charges that senior Iraqi regime figures were taking refuge in the country.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is concerned that growing U.S. criticism of Syria and its role in the U.S.-led war on Iraq could further destabilize the shaky Middle East, a spokesman said on Monday.

Annan "reiterates his strongly held view that any claim of threats to international peace and security should be addressed in conformity with the provisions of the (U.N.) Charter," the spokesman said.

Under the charter, the U.N. Security Council is the body charged with enforcing international peace and security.

The United States and Britain infuriated most U.N. members by launching war against Baghdad without first obtaining U.N. authorization in the form of a Security Council resolution.

Arabs Advised to take Note of 'New Environment'

Powell noted that Syria had pledged last week to close its border with Iraq to all non-humanitarian traffic. But he again warned Damascus specifically against allowing any one of the 55 senior Iraqi officials -- led by Saddam and his sons -- wanted by US forces to cross.

"These are the kinds of individuals who should not be allowed to find safe haven in Syria," he said.

Powell said that Saddam's ouster should send a signal to nations in the Middle East that, in the "new environment," support for terrorists as well as the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction would no longer be tolerated.

"It sends a message to nations that engage in terror, nations that engage in tyranny and nations that engage in the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction that that is a route that does not lead to a good future," agreed Fleischer

PHOTO CAPTION

US Secretary of State Colin Powell (R) and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Sabah (AFP/Nicholas Roberts)