Damascus - Despite loud objections from the administration of US President George W Bush, US senators John Kerry and Christopher Dodd flew in to Damascus Tuesday for talks with Syrian officials on bringing about stability and security to Iraq.

The senators' visit came a few days after a similar one by Senator Bill Nelson, who met with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Kerry, a Massachusetts lawmaker and critic of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq, arrived in Syria after visits to Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.

Dodd, a Connecticut senator who is considering whether to run for US president in 2008, was also in Iraq - his third trip there since the war began.

The US lawmakers are expected to hold talks with Assad when he returns from a two-day visit to Moscow on Wednesday.

The diplomatic push from the US Congress comes on the heels of a recommendation by a bipartisan panel that Washington engage Iran and Syria to help with the war in Iraq.

Bush has expressed reluctance in seeking help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrians curb their support for radical Palestinian groups and Lebanon's Hezbollah and reduce their influence in Lebanon.

Syria has influence with Iraq's Sunnis, and some leaders of the Sunni-led insurgency are believed to be living there.

Syrian-US relations have been strained for several years. Recently Washington has accused Syria of aiding the Iraqi insurgency by allowing militants to cross its borders into Iraq.

Syria denies promoting the insurgency, saying it cannot have absolute control over its long and porous desert border with Iraq. It regards the radical Palestinian groups as legitimate opponents of the Israeli occupation of their lands.

The US withdrew its ambassador from Damascus last year after the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, which many Lebanese blamed on Syria. Damascus denies any role in the killing.

Source (DPA)