Reporters on the Job

• SYRIANS AND IRAQIS: While working in Damascus this week, reporter Nicholas Blanford found that Syrians had little love for Saddam Hussein and his regime (page 5). The relationship between the two countries has been openly hostile. But he also heard a lot about how close the Syrians are to the Iraqi people. "This has been amply demonstrated by the warmth with which Mohammed al Douri, Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, has been received in Damascus. He came here from New York after the collapse of Hussein's regime and is staying in a hotel. Mr. al-Douri was well respected by his fellow diplomats at the UN. A Syrian friend of his told me that when they took Mr al-Douri out to dinner in Damascus, their table was besieged with well-wishers and people offering money, apartments, anything Mr al-Douri needed to make his stay better," says Nick.

• RELIEF IN IRAQ: A number of readers have inquired about helping the Methboub family, which correspondent Scott Peterson wrote about on Dec. 26, Mar. 19, and April 22. One daughter's diary of the war in Baghdad appears today (page 8). While there is no fund specifically for this family, the are several aid agencies providing relief for Iraqis, including:

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 19 Avenue de la Paix

1202 Geneva, Switzerland E-mail : helpicrc.gva@icrc.org

Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors without Borders) US Office: 6 East 39th Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10016

Please send any further inquiries about the Methboub family to world@csmonitor.com.

- David Clark Scott World editor