In his State of the Union policy speech largely focused on the Middle East, Bush admonished Syria, saying it should end its support for "terror" and open the door to freedom.

But Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlallah told AFP: "American officials need to be convinced that the pressure on Syria is futile and that a strengthening of dialogue is the only path."

Washington has slapped sanctions on Damascus, accusing it of sponsoring international terrorism and turning a blind eye to anti-American insurgents crossing the border into neighbouring Iraq.

Dakhlallah, whose government has about 14,000 troops stationed in neighbouring Lebanon, lashed out at the Americans' use of their military might to bring about change in the region.