Sat 30 Jun 2007 08:03
White House says ban list aims to serves as tool to stop Damascus from ‘meddling in Lebanon’.
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine - President George W. Bush on Friday barred Syrians and Lebanese involved in destabilizing Lebanon’s government from entering the United States, the White House said.
The White House named several people already banned, including Syria’s head of military intelligence, an advisor to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and several ex-ministers in Lebanon’s former pro-Syria government.
"This is a tool that the United States has to demonstrate to Syria our desire for them to stop meddling in Lebanon, to demonstrate to Syria and those who want to destabilize the democratically elected government of Lebanon, that we will continue to increase pressure until they suspend their activity," said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
Johndroe said the measure is targeted at those "who have been involved or may be involved in the destabilization of the government of Lebanon."
The ban comes as the United States seeks to further fortify Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora’s government against pro-Syrian forces seeking to recover power in the country.
Siniora came to power on a tide of outrage over the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri on February 14, 2005 in a bombing that killed 22 others.
Hariri was a leading opponent of Syrian domination of Lebanon, and the US and other countries have accused Syria of involvement in the killing.
Damascus has denied any involvement.
Johndroe said the new order was provoked by Syria’s "continuing activity in Lebanon," mentioning the assassination of anti-Syrian Lebanese lawmaker Walid Eido earlier this month as "one more incident that led the government to make the decision" to ban the figures from US entry.
A list provided by the White House includes Assef Shawkat, Syria’s military intelligence chief; Assad’s advisor Hisham Ikhtiyar, and two senior Syrian military intelligence officials, Rustam Ghazali and Jama’a Jama’a.
On the Lebanese side, former defense minister Abdul Rahim Mrad, former labor ministers Assad Hardan and Assan Qanso, former minister of information Michel Samaha, and former environment minister Wiam Wahhab. Also on the list is former member of parliament Nasser Kandil.
The ban on travel to the United States, made in a formal presidential proclamation by Bush, includes immediate members of the men’s families, and people whose businesses benefited from their activities.
The list can be extended to others not mentioned on the White House list Friday, Johndroe said.
"The proclamation provides officials who would issue visas (and) entry permits with the parameters on who can be kept out of the United States," Johndroe told reporters here at the Bush family vacation retreat, where the president will hold a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday.