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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US concerned Syria targeting Lebanese |
| 2005-06-10 |
| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is concerned about the possibility of a "pattern" of political killings in Lebanon, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday as two newspapers reported the Bush administration had word of a "Syrian hit list" targeting Lebanese leaders. "What we don't want is that there is a pattern now of assassination of key figures, because that would be very, very destabilizing in Lebanon, and I think it would have to point a finger at those forces that have been destabilizing in Lebanon," Rice said in an interview with Charlie Rose on PBS. Bush administration officials say the United States has received "credible" word that Syria has developed a "hit list" targeting prominent Lebanese political leaders, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported on their Web sites. Both newspapers cited a senior administration official as saying Syria's plan was aimed at creating instability in an attempt to regain control of Lebanon. But intelligence officials said they could not immediately substantiate the reliability of the information cited by the administration official, The New York Times reported. There was no immediate comment on the reports from the State Department. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in February and anti-Syrian columnist Samir Kassir was killed last week in Beirut. "We need to be very clear that we expect a full investigation of the assassination of Mr. Kassir, following the assassination of Mr. Hariri," Rice said in the interview. Asked whether Syrian intelligence agents had withdrawn from Lebanon, she said: "I think some of us have our doubts and we need to keep pressure on the Syrians to be transparent about what they're doing in Lebanon." Rice added that the Bush administration was "being very clear to people that we want an international spotlight on what is going on in Lebanon" so the Lebanese can hold elections free of foreign influence. A U.N. Security Council resolution in September demanded Syria withdraw all its forces from Lebanon, which were deployed there for 29 years. Damascus did so last month. |
| Posted by:Steve |