Bush: Syria and Iran trying to destabilize Lebanon

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
President George W. Bush denounced Tuesday's assassination of a Lebanese Cabinet member and said Syria and Iran are trying to undermine the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. "We support the Saniora government and its democracy, and we support the Lebanese people's desire to live in peace," Bush said after having breakfast with US troops stationed in Hawaii. "And we support their efforts to defend their democracy against attempts by Syria, Iran and allies to foment instability and violence in that important country." Bush did not specifically blame Iran or Syria for the shooting death of Pierre Gemayel, one of the country's most prominent Christians, but he urged a full investestigation to identify "those people and those forces" behind the killing.