Bush turns up heat on
Syria over troops, 'secret services' in Lebanon
by Olivier Knox
MAINZ, Germany, Feb 23 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush ratcheted up the pressure on
Syria Wednesday, demanding that it pull its troops and "secret services" out of
Lebanon but stopping short of urging immediate UN sanctions.
"Syria must withdraw not only the troops but its secret services from Lebanon,"
Bush said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Bush added that the upcoming parliamentary elections in Lebanon "need to be free,
without any Syrian influence".When asked
whether he would try to urge European leaders to seek sanctions against Damascus, Bush
said he would watch the reaction of the Syrians.
"The charge is out there for the Syrian government to hear loud and clear, and we
will see how they respond before there's any further discussions about going back to the
United Nations," he said.
Bush and his French counterpart Jacques Chirac made a joint call after talks late Monday
for Syrian soldiers to pull out of Lebanon, with the European Union adding its voice
Tuesday.
Schroeder said he agreed with the US position and echoed US calls for an independent probe
of the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri on February 14.
UN resolution 1559 calls for all foreign forces to be pulled out of Lebanon and for
militias such as Hezbollah to be dissolved.
Syria maintains 14,000 troops in the country, but has been facing growing pressure to pull
out of Lebanon following Hariri's killing.
The United States has been hardening its tone with Syria on several fronts in recent
months and last week recalled its ambassador to Damascus for urgent consultations as a
strong signal of its displeasure.
The Americans are seeking a full and transparent investigation of the bomb attack that
killed Hariri and 17 other people in Beirut. Washington has implicated the Syrians.
In addition to the withdrawal from Lebanon, Washington is also demanding that Syria end
its support for insurgents in neighboring Iraq as well as Islamic militants seeking to
torpedo the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as saying
Monday that he would soon withdraw troops under a 1989 accord that ended Lebanon's civil
war.
But US officials have been unimpressed by the pledge.
"We'll judge it by the facts," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told
reporters Tuesday.
Meanwhile Syria's official state press lashed out at Washington's new pressure Tuesday,
accusing the United States of hypocrisy.
Bush's position "throws light on what is being hatched against Syria and the
region," said government newspaper Tishrin. "It demonstrates the American policy
of double standards and preconceived ideas."
The paper said it was "illogical" to insist that UN Security Council Resolution
1559 be carried out and ignore other resolutions in the Middle East that have not been
implemented. |
