| Fearless W fed up with Assad...
:mad:
Bush 'loses patience' with Syria
Thursday, 20 December 2007, US President George W Bush says he has long since lost patience with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, and has ruled out opening a dialogue with him.
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“He doesn’t need a phone call, he knows exactly what my position is," Mr Bush said at a year-ending news conference. The US and Syria have each accused the other of meddling in Lebanon, where repeated attempts to find a new president have failed.
Mr Bush also accused Mr Assad of supporting militant groups.
“My patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago," Mr Bush told reporters at the White House. “The reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq, and he destabilises Lebanon."
[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7154473.stm:
Opposition 'sidelined'[/url]
See also:
Bush Tells Syria to 'Stay Out' of Lebanese Political Process
20 December 2007 - President Bush told his news conference Thursday that Syria should stay out of Lebanon and allow that country to democratically elect a new president. Lebanon has been without a president since late November amid charges Syria is trying to prolong the country’s political stalemate.
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The year-end news conference included the President’s strongest rhetoric to date about Syria, with Mr. Bush saying his patience with Syrian President Bashar Assad expired long ago and that Damascus should “get out” of Lebanese affairs and allow a presidential vote to go forward.
Mr. Bush was asked at the wide-ranging news conference whether he coordinated with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on a call the French leader made to Mr. Assad earlier this week, urging him to let a Lebanese presidential vote go forward and suggesting that French patience on the matter is wearing thin.
“No, it wasn’t coordinated with me, and my patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago," he said. “And the reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq, and he destabilizes Lebanon. And so, if he’s listening, he doesn’t need a phone call. He knows exactly what my position is."
Lebanon’s anti-Syrian governing bloc, known as the March 14th Coalition, and its opponents have agreed on army chief General Michel Suleiman to replace former president Emile Lahoud, whose term ended November 23. But his election in parliament was been repeatedly postponed, with the opposition led by the Syrian-backed Hezbollah movement demanding guarantees of veto power in a new cabinet.
More [url:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-12-20-voa47.cfm[/url]
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