Lebanon Protests U.S. Plan to Freeze Assets
Lebanon lodged a protest with the United States on Saturday over a proposal to pressure Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon by freezing the assets of senior officials from both countries.
A government statement said Prime Minister Rafik Hariri summoned U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman to express his objections to the proposal.
U.S. officials said Friday that the Bush administration was considering tightening U.S. economic sanctions against Syria to put pressure on it to withdraw its forces from Lebanon, where it has an estimated 14,000 to 17,000 soldiers.
Syria has had ultimate authority in Lebanon since sending in troops during a 1975-1990 civil war. U.S. lawmakers accuse some Lebanese officials of collaborating to maintain Syrian control.
Congressional sources briefed by the administration said a leading option under consideration was freezing the assets of high-ranking Syrian and Lebanese officials.
Hariri’s office said in a statement that Feltman reported that the proposal was not yet law but reflected “the very strong concern within the U.S. Congress about supporting the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.”
In May, President Bush imposed a series of sanctions on Syria, including a ban on U.S. exports other than food and medicine.
The U.S. considers Syria a sponsor of terrorism.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
