A U.S. State Department official said Thursday that Syria or its supporters may use violence to interfere in Lebanon's upcoming presidential elections in an attempt to manipulate the outcome.
"Interference or intimidation in the electoral process is unacceptable to the United States and to the international community," David Welch, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, told senators. Syria cannot hope to improve relations with the U.S. or play an influential role in the Mideast unless it heeds the warning, Welch said in a statement and in testimony before a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee. |