| The United States called on Lebanon yesterday to hold internationally monitored elections on time and warned that the world would hold accountable all those who resort to violence to destabilize Lebanon. "Elections must move forward — free and fair elections in the presence of international observers — in their scheduled time. That should be the priority," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield told reporters in Beirut. Satterfield said a prompt parliamentary election would create a "different political environment" in Lebanon, which has been dominated by Syria for three decades. Satterfield is in Lebanon to push for a rapid withdrawal of all Syrian troops on a declared timetable, the US Embassy said. He was speaking after meeting Maronite Christian Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, who is a key opposition figure. |