WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush met Friday with Lebanon's parliamentary leader Saad Hariri and said he wanted a "full and firm" probe into the assassination of his father, former premier Rafiq Hariri.

"It's very important for the investigation into your dad's death to go forward. We expect there to be a full and firm investigation, and the people who were responsible for your dad's death need to be held to account," said Bush.

During a brief joint public appearance in the Oval Office, Bush said he wanted a democratic Lebanon to "flourish and thrive" free of Syrian sway, and expressed strong support for a donors conference to help debt-riddled Lebanon.

"We just had a very interesting and important discussion about our mutual desire for Lebanon to be free -- free of foreign influence, free of Syrian intimidation, free to chart its own course," said Bush.

Speaking to reporters outside the driveway, Hariri said he had also discussed the donors conference with Vice President Dick Cheney and that "we are working on setting the date and we hope we will get it soon."

Hariri said the International Monetary Fund would send an envoy to the region February 7 to begin to work "seriously" on setting up such a conference.

Copyright © 1999-2005 Lebanonwire^®.com. All rights reserved.