Bush warns Syria

US President George W. Bush strongly warned Syria, demanding Damascus to end its occupation to Lebanon.

In a speech he delivered on Monday in Brussels, the American president criticized Syria and described it as "the stubborn neighbor." He called on the European Union to pressure on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon.

For his part, the British foreign office secretary Jack Straw said that "Europe is in agreement with the USA concerning Syria. He indicated to Syria's involvement in the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri and demanded an independent investigations.

In a joint statement, President Bush and the French President Jack Chirac stressed immediate implementation of UN resolution 1559 provided for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon.

The statement added that the "US, France joins the European Union and the international community in deploring the assassination of Hariri and in supporting free, independent and democratic Lebanon."

Concerning the international investigation team, which was assigned by the UN secretary general Kofi Annan to investigate the assassination of Hariri, the organization said it will arrive in Lebanon this week.