WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush called on Syria to free all political prisoners and to halt "intimidation and interference" that is hurting Lebanon's embattled democracy.

"The Syrian regime should immediately free all political prisoners," Bush said. "I am deeply troubled by reports that some ailing political prisoners are denied health care while others are held in cells with violent criminals."

The US president, in a written statement released by the White House, specifically named Aref Dalila, Michel Kilo, Anwar al-Bunni, Mahmoud Issa, and Kamal Labwani among the prisoners he hoped to see set free.

"The Syrian regime should also cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty by denying the Lebanese people their right to participate in the democratic process free of foreign intimidation and interference," said Bush.

Washington has repeatedly accused Damascus of having a hand in the political crisis gripping its smaller neighbor, particularly through support for the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

Bush also said "should disclose the fate and whereabouts of the many missing Lebanese citizens who 'disappeared' following their arrest in Lebanon during the decades of Syrian military occupation."

"The United States supports the Syrian people's desire for democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression. Syrians deserve a government whose legitimacy is grounded in the consent of the people, not brute force," he said.

"The people of Syria hope for a prosperous future with greater opportunities for their children, and for a government that fights corruption, respects the rule of law, guarantees the rights of all Syrians, and works toward achieving peace in the region," said the US president. -AFP