Syria expressed regret on Friday over US President George W. Bush's decision to extend the economic sanctions imposed on Damascus a year ago.

"The main problem is that the United States sees Syria with an Israeli eye," Minister of Information Mahdi Dakhlullah said in a statement, referring to US bias towards Syria's arch foe Israel.

Bush announced his decision in a message to the US Congress on Thursday, while repeating charges that Damascus supports terrorism, pursues weapons of mass destruction and undermines US efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraq.

"All these pressures are really linked to Syria's hostile position to the occupation, aggression and war in the Middle East and in the world," Dakhlullah said.

"Syria has (shown) that it respects international law," the minister said, referring to Syrian compliance with the UN Security Council resolution 1559 which urges Syrian troops to quit Lebanon.

"Syria also affirms (the importance of) stability in Iraq on which the region's stability depends in large part," he said.

"Syria makes a difference between terrorism and resistance to the occupation of Palestine. It seems that the Syrian position doesn't please the neo-conservatives in Washington."

The sanctions, imposed last May, include a ban on US exports to Syria excluding food and medicine and a freeze of Syrian assets in the United States.