U.S. accuses Syria, Iran, Hezbollah on Lebanon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday said it saw signs that Syria, Iran and Hezbollah militants were trying to topple the Lebanese government and warned them to keep their "hands off."

White House spokesman Tony Snow said in a statement that the United States believed one of Syria's aims was to prevent the Lebanese government from setting up a tribunal to try those accused of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"Support for a sovereign, democratic, and prosperous Lebanon is a key element of U.S. policy in the Middle East," Snow said.

"We are therefore increasingly concerned by mounting evidence that the Syrian and Iranian governments, Hezbollah, and their Lebanese allies are preparing plans to topple Lebanon's democratically elected government led by Prime Minister (Fouad) Siniora," he added.

The White House issued its statement a day after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave Siniora's ruling coalition, which has an anti-Syrian bent, until mid-November to agree on the formation of a unity government or face protests demanding new elections.

In a briefing with reporters, Snow declined to cited evidence of the U.S. accusations, saying the information was classified.

The United States has held up Lebanon as an example of emerging democracy in the Middle East.

"And if you have the example of a stable democracy that's able to fend off terror -- in the case of Lebanon, from Hezbollah -- then you have an opportunity to create an entirely different set of circumstances in the Middle East," Snow said.

"We're making it clear to everybody in the region that we think that there ought to be hands off the Siniora government; let them go about and do their business," he added.

The White House statement said any attempts to destabilize the Lebanese government would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

He also said that any effort to "sideline" a tribunal on Hariri's death would fail because "the international community can proceed with establishing it no matter what happens internally in Lebanon."

Iran, Syria Plot to `Topple' Lebanon's Leadership

Bloomberg- The Bush administration today accused Iran and Syria of plotting to depose the Lebanese government of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

The U.S. is ``increasingly concerned by mounting evidence that the Syrian and Iranian governments, Hezbollah and their Lebanese allies are preparing plans to topple Lebanon's democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Siniora,'' the White House said in a statement.

The Bush administration said there are ``indications'' Syria is trying to disrupt passage of a statute by the Lebanese government permitting an international tribunal to try those accused of involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination. The U.S. statement noted that an international tribunal can be established ``no matter what happens in Lebanon.''

Syrian intelligence officials, including President Bashar al-Assad's brother and brother-in-law, have been implicated in the attack, which is being investigated by UN-appointed officials. Syria has denied any involvement.

The Feb. 14, 2005, Beirut truck bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others in Beirut triggered public outrage that forced Syria to withdraw its troops from neighboring Lebanon. The April 2005 withdrawal ended a 29-year presence and led to an election victory that gave the anti-Syrian political bloc a majority in Lebanon's parliament.

The White House statement followed a visit earlier this week to Washington by Walid Jumblatt, the leader of Lebanon's Druze minority, who is a sharp critic of Syrian meddling in Lebanese affairs.

Jumblatt, who was also critical of Hezbollah's cross-border raid into Israel, met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Hezbollah's raid triggered a 33-day war that killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon and 159 in Israel.