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Syria rejects charges that it has Lebanon hitlist
Syria strongly rejected on Saturday charges by Washington that it had a hit list of Lebanese politicians that it planned to assassinate. Lebanese politicians were seeking electoral gain by making false accusations in coordination with countries that opposed Syria, said the head of the Syrian Information Ministry's foreign media department in an apparent reference to Washington. President Bush said on Friday he was disturbed by reports of covert Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs. The White House said it had information that Damascus had drawn up an assassination list of Lebanese political leaders and prominent anti-Syrian opposition leader Walid Jumblatt also made the same charge. "Syria, which stands above the use of threats, assassinations and bombing, ... voices its disgust toward these uncivilised and immoral methods that some Lebanese use," Nizar Mayhoub told the official news agency on Saturday. "These allegations and falsehoods are a cheap attempt to affect the Lebanese elections and gain the sympathy of voters and provoke against Syria," Mayhoub said. Syria expressed "deep astonishment" that the U.S. gave credence to the reports of a purported hit list, said a foreign ministry official quoted by the news agency. "Syria again emphasizes its full keenness on the security of Lebanon and its stability which is part of the security and stability of Syria," the official said. The remarks come a day before a meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and the United Nations envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, whose organization plans to resend a team to Lebanon verify that Syrian intelligence agents have left as Damascus said. Two Syrian cabinet ministers said on Friday that Syria had completely withdrawn from Lebanon and strongly denied that Damascus had drawn up an assassination hit list in Lebanon. Syria has said that its pullout from Lebanon fulfilled its side of a U.N. resolution that also calls for the disarmament of Lebanese militias, a reference to the Iran and Syrian-backed Hizbollah guerrilla group. Facing intense pressure after the assassination of a Lebanese ex-prime minister Rafik al-Hariri in February, which many Lebanese blamed on Syria, Damascus agreed to implement the resolution. It denies any role in the killing. |
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