Testifying at his confirmation hearing, the nominee for US ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, told the Senate on Tuesday that Syria "could and should" do more to stop foreign fighters crossing the border into Iraq.

According to Ford, who recently served as a senior US diplomat in Iraq, the number of fighters crossing the border has declined from 100 a month nearly two years ago to around 10, as Syria has helped shut down fighter networks.

He said, however, that Syria has “to shut them all down.”

Ford also said that Iran's goal in Iraq is to "have a government dominated by one particular sect," in reference to the country’s majority Shia Muslims.

"I don't think the Syrians share that objective," he added.

The Syrians support a  strong government ensuring unity of the state, Ford said, adding that the Iraqis who visit and receive support from Damascus are minority of Sunni and secular Muslims.

-AFP/NOW Lebanon