"We believe in a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict," said Imad Mustapha, Syria's envoy to Washington on Friday.

Mustapha in turn accused the U.S. administration of George W. Bush as "fabricating one story after another."

The Syrian ambassador, who was summoned to the U.S. State Department last week and shown documents obtained by the Central Intelligence Agency, brushed off the evidence he was shown as inconclusive and fabricated.

"They showed me a series of computer generated photos," said Mustapha, during a news conference. "I said to myself, is this Hollywood or is this Foggy Bottom?" said the ambassador, referring to the Washington neighborhood where the State Department is located.

Mustapha said the photos he was shown were taken of a place somewhere in the world.

"There is no proof whatsoever at all that they were taken in Syria," he said.

Mustapha said Syria was well aware of what happens to a country that attempts to acquire nuclear technology. But, he added, in Washington "the facts are not important, perception is what counts."

"We understand this is a two-tier world. If Syria will commit a minor infringement of international law it will face the full wrath of the U.S. falling on our head," he said, adding that Israel, on the other hand was able to get away with doing what it wants, "with total disregard of international law and human decency."

Mustapha said the target of the Israeli raid of Sept. 6, 2007 was a military building and not a nuclear facility, as Israel and the United States claim.

The Syrian envoy said a plutonium enriching facility requires a very complex installation, not a single isolated building in the middle of the Syrian desert without proper resources, let alone enough electricity or water to operate such a large installation.

Asked if he was suggesting that the United States is using this incident as a pretext to go to war with Syria, Mustapha replied that Syria did not know what U.S. policymakers were planning.

"We have told them time and again in the past four years Syria is not an enemy of the United States," he said. "Engaging Syria can serve the national interest of Syria, the national interest of the United States, and even the national interest of a country that is very dear to your hearts and in our part of the world" [an oblique reference to Israel].

The Syrian ambassador said he believes the Bush administration wants to present the Middle East as a truly dangerous area to justify the U.S. government resorting to applying tougher measures in the region, as well as within the United States itself.

"We don't know what's going on in their minds," he said of the U.S. administration, adding that they never learn from past mistakes.

Referring to the situation in Iraq shortly after the downfall of Saddam, Mustapha said the Syrian government had warned the United States that dismantling the police and the army would be "a great mistake," but "they didn't listen."

He said when the de-Baathification process began, Syria tried to explain how damaging it would be to the civilian and administrative structure of Iraq, but once again, "they didn't listen."

And Mustafa Said that more recently Syria warned the administration of the dangers to Iraq and to U.S. interests in arming and financing Sunni tribes in Iraq, adding: "They don't listen."

"I have to be honest with you. No engagement will be possible with this administration," the Syrian ambassador said.

Regardless, Mustafa said he believed that " today there are serious prospects for peace in our region."

However, he stressed, Israel should realize that it cannot continue to depend on sheer military superiority to "impose occupation on Syria, the Palestinians and the Lebanese."

Despite last September's Israeli air raid on Syria's military installation – be it a nuclear facility or otherwise – the ambassador appeared to make an overture of peace toward Israel saying that the "tipping point" will come when Israel realizes it "cannot live outside international law."

"If they want their grandchildren to live in peace with our grandchildren they need to end their process of occupation and engage in serious, honest peace talks with us, the Palestinians and the Lebanese."

Only peace will end the problems of the Middle East, said the ambassador. In the interim, he asked that Washington put an end to its "belligerence toward Syria."