"In these dangerous circumstances, Syria calls on the international community to make every effort to put an end to the occupation and remedy the catastrophic situation resulting from the aggression with a view to permitting the Iraqi people to freely choose their government without foreign interference," the foreign ministry said.

"Syria commits itself to (preserving) the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq," it added in a statement.

Damascus, which is ruled by a rival wing of the Baath Party which also governed Baghdad until Wednesday's downfall of Saddam Hussein, was opposed to the US-led war on its eastern neighbour.

SPACE.WIRE