Syria, US Spar Over Lebanon At International Conference On Iraq

DAMASCUS (AP)--The U.S. and Syria sparred over Lebanon Saturday, warning each other not to interfere in the country's upcoming presidential election.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had a rare meeting with her Syrian counterpart, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, on the sidelines of a conference on Iraq in Istanbul, Turkey. She repeated U.S. demands that Syria steer clear of Lebanon's internal politics.

"I made quite clear that ... it was expected that Syria was going to adhere to its international obligations not to interfere, to allow Lebanon to have a constitutional process for the ... election of a president, and that it was also the expectation of everyone that there would be no intimidation," Rice told reporters after leaving the conference.

In response, al-Moallem said Syria supported Lebanese attempts to elect a new president without foreign interference, according to the official news agency SANA.

Despite marathon discussions between pro-government and opposition leaders in the parliament, the two groups have made no headway in electing a new president to prevent a power vacuum or the formation of two rival administrations.

With time running out, the election has become a showdown between Iran and Syria, who back the opposition, and the U.S. and its European allies, who support the parliamentary majority and Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government. The U.S. accuses Syria and Iran of interfering in Lebanese affairs and backing attempts to topple Saniora.

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