Lebanon's new Prime Minister Omar Karami has denounced international efforts to distance his country from Syria and said he wanted peace with his political opponents, local media reported Friday. "Our nation is going through a very delicate situation. Lebanon and Syria are subject to strong foreign pressure aimed at breaking tight links between our two countries," Karami was quoted as saying. Pro-Damascus Karami was asked to form a government following the resignation of his arch-foe Rafiq Hariri, a move which has drawn international criticism for Damascus's perceived role in the affair. "It is untrue that international positions taken vis-a-vis Syria are concerned with protecting Lebanese independence and its sovereignty," Karami said, referring to a UN resolution calling on Damascus to stop perceived meddling in its smaller neighbour's political affairs and to withdraw its estimated 15,000 troops from Lebanon.

"These positions result from the fact that Syria is opposed to Israel, supports the Palestinian people (and) the (Hezbollah) resistance" in southern Lebanon. He also proposed opening talks with his political opponents, who have until now refused to take part in his government, formed Tuesday. "We offer a hand to everyone, without distinction ... with the aim of reconciliation," he said. But the Lebanese branch of the Baath party, which holds power in Syria, was less conciliatory, accusing Karami's opponents of attacking Damascus. In a statement, the party accused secular leftist Druze leader Walid Jumblatt of being "determined to be at the vanguard of the opposition, whose project is to plot against Syria and to count on regional and external changes to impose a new order."

The pro-Syrian party also accused Lebanese socialist leader and Jumblatt ally Elias Attallah of "seeking, with the rest of the opposition, to join American and Israeli efforts in their attacks on Syria and its national role in Lebanon." Jumblatt, whose father was assassinated in 1977 following a dispute with then Syrian president Hafaz al-Assad, was an ally of Damascus until he called for a reassessment of Syrian-Lebanese relations in 2000. The Lebanese parliament's decision in September to change the constitution to extend Lahoud's mandate led Jumblatt's party to withdraw from government.

Washington has described Lebanon's new prime minister as an inappropriate choice owing to his strong links with Syria, with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield saying "the United States is extremely worried by the current situation in Lebanon because of Syrian interference." Following the passing of September's resolution calling for Lebanese sovereignty to be respected, the 15-member UN Security Council issued a further statement earlier this month calling again on Damascus to comply with the resolution, a call rejected outright by Syria and Lebanon as "interference." Following his designation, Karami declared that his main task would be to resist external pressures being exerted on Lebanon and Syria and to prepare elections set for early next year. (AFP)