Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has said he would oppose the use of Iraqi territory as a base for any US military strike on Syria.
"I absolutely reject that Iraqi territory be used as a launchpad for any military strike against Syria or any other Arab country," Mr Talabani told Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat.
"But this is my personal opinion and my capabilities are limited in confronting America's might . . . I cannot impose my opinion on them," he added in an interview.
President Bush said last month that military action would be a last resort to deal with Syria, which Washington accuses of allowing foreign fighters to cross the border into Iraq, where US troops are fighting a bloody insurgency.
Mr Talabani, who also heads the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, had a long-standing alliance with Syria that allowed him to operate from its territory against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
"I will not say a word against Syria which I owe a lot to. If I have anything to say I will relay it directly to brother [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad," Mr Talabani added.
Fears of US military action heightened following a UN investigation that implicated Syrian officials in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, an opponent of Syrian domination of his country, and 22 others in February.
The report said the killing was organised by Syrian security officials and their Lebanese allies.
The Security Council yesterday voted unanimously for a resolution ordering Syria to co-operate fully with the UN investigation or face possible "further action".
