More syrian aggression in Lebanon

US to freeze assets of Syrians meddling in Lebanon By DPAAug 2, 2007, 17:39 GMT Washington - US assets of Syrians who undermine Lebanon's democratic government will be frozen, President George W Bush said Thursday in a new bid to curb Syria's influence in the Middle East. Bush's executive order cited a 'national emergency,' saying that alleged efforts to 'reassert Syrian control or contribute to Syrian interference in Lebanon' posed a security threat to the United States. However, he named no individuals to be targeted. The move will block the property and property interests of people the US government deems threats to Lebanon's democracy and agents of Syrian influence in the neighbouring country, the order said. Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon under intense international pressure after the February 2005 assassination of anti-Syrian former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. But the US still views Damascus as a disruptive force in the region. Bush's statement came during a Middle East tour by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, aimed at bolstering US-friendly governments and rekindling Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.