Bush, PM on the phone
Malaysiakini.com
Dec 16, 2006

US President George W Bush has expressed "strong concerns" to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over Iranian and Syrian influence in Lebanon, the White House said.

In a telephone conversation yesterday, "the president expressed his strong concerns regarding Iranian and Syrian interference in Lebanon," spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters.

The two leaders also "had a wide-ranging discussion on the situation in the Middle East," in which they renewed "their commitment to fostering peace between Israelis and Palestinians based on two democratic states living side by side in peace," said Fratto.

Bush and Abdullah, the current chair of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, also discussed the Iranian nuclear program, said Fratto, who did not provide further details.

Bush rejects suggestion 

Tehran had insisted that its nuclear program were aimed at producing electricity, but Washington believes that it was a disguise for developing an atomic weapon.

The high-level talks between the two leaders came just a few days after a special advisory panel recommended that the US must engage Syria and Iran to bring about stability in Iraq.

Bush however rejected the suggestion, saying that such talks are pointless until the two Islamic nations yield to US policy requests.

The Bush administration has repeatedly accused Syria of fueling crises in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestinian territories. 

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