Syria called yesterday for dialogue with the United States, rejecting as "futile" the mounting pressure on the regime from the administration of President George W. Bush. 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 neighboring Iraq. Dakhlallah, whose government has about 14,000 troops stationed in neighboring Lebanon, lashed out at the Americans' use of their military might to bring about change in the region. "It is impossible to export freedom with tanks, planes and cannons," he said. "Freedom also means an end to occupation, the building of a world order based on democratic relations between nations."