U.S. Tells Assad to Quit Lebanon or Face Additional Sanctions
Naharnet
Beirut, Updated 10 Sep 04, 12:03
The United States is sending a "strong message" to Syria that it should withdraw its army from Lebanon and terminate its dominance of its tiny neighbor without further delay, saying the Bush administration would not rule out any punishment option should the Assad government fail to obey.
The move was revealed by the newly appointed chief of the Middle East department at the U.S. State Department, Elizabeth Deble , in an interview published Friday by the Beirut newspaper As Safir. This department covers Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt.
She said Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern affairs William Burns would deliver the message personally to President Assad when he meets in Damascus shortly. "It's a strong message that has to be delivered to the highest authority about the need of change in Syria's policy in many spheres."
Foremost among these spheres, Deble went on, "is that the time has come for Syria to pull out its armed forces from Lebanon, stop interfering in Lebanon's domestic affairs and discontinue support of Hizbullah."
In case of Syrian defiance, Deble said, the Bush administration would examine its options in light of the outcome of Burns' talks with Assad and the report that will be presented to the Security Council by Secretary-General Kofi Annan about the response of Lebanon and Syria to resolution 1559.
"We do not rule out any option," she said, pointing out that action would be taken within the framework of the Security Council and within the context of Syria's Accountability bill.
Asked about contentions in Beirut that the United States sponsorship of resolution 1559 constituted foreign intervention in Lebanese affairs, Deble laughed and said "it's the other way round. The foreign intervention came from Syria, not the United States."
She called Syria's imposition of Gen. Lahoud as president of Lebanon for three additional years a "crude, rude and foolish intervention."
Deble rejected claims by the Assad administration that the United States was out to punish Syria in Lebanon because of Syria's steadfastness on the Palestinian question and its opposition to the Iraq war. " What we actually see is Syria punishing the Lebanese," she said.
Beirut, Updated 10 Sep 04, 12:03
The United States is sending a "strong message" to Syria that it should withdraw its army from Lebanon and terminate its dominance of its tiny neighbor without further delay, saying the Bush administration would not rule out any punishment option should the Assad government fail to obey.
The move was revealed by the newly appointed chief of the Middle East department at the U.S. State Department, Elizabeth Deble , in an interview published Friday by the Beirut newspaper As Safir. This department covers Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt.
She said Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern affairs William Burns would deliver the message personally to President Assad when he meets in Damascus shortly. "It's a strong message that has to be delivered to the highest authority about the need of change in Syria's policy in many spheres."
Foremost among these spheres, Deble went on, "is that the time has come for Syria to pull out its armed forces from Lebanon, stop interfering in Lebanon's domestic affairs and discontinue support of Hizbullah."
In case of Syrian defiance, Deble said, the Bush administration would examine its options in light of the outcome of Burns' talks with Assad and the report that will be presented to the Security Council by Secretary-General Kofi Annan about the response of Lebanon and Syria to resolution 1559.
"We do not rule out any option," she said, pointing out that action would be taken within the framework of the Security Council and within the context of Syria's Accountability bill.
Asked about contentions in Beirut that the United States sponsorship of resolution 1559 constituted foreign intervention in Lebanese affairs, Deble laughed and said "it's the other way round. The foreign intervention came from Syria, not the United States."
She called Syria's imposition of Gen. Lahoud as president of Lebanon for three additional years a "crude, rude and foolish intervention."
Deble rejected claims by the Assad administration that the United States was out to punish Syria in Lebanon because of Syria's steadfastness on the Palestinian question and its opposition to the Iraq war. " What we actually see is Syria punishing the Lebanese," she said.
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