US voiced support to Lebanese premier, ignoring the President

The USA has expressed its strong support to the Lebanese government led by the Prime minister Foaud Sinioura who recently faced Syrian criticism and had a political confrontations with the Lebanese President, Emil Lahoud.

The US under secretary of state for the Near East affairs David Welch said addressing the Lebanese foreign minister Fawzi Salloukh after they had met in Beirut "I would like to express the strong support of the US administration to your country and the leading role played by your new government."

The American official said "I came to Lebanon to discuss latest developments in the region, especially the Arab-Israeli conflict and following up the preparatory meeting which was held in New York in September under the auspices of the USA to support Lebanon."

Welch said the United States is prepared to help Lebanon advance in all aspects of its reform agenda, which involves political, economic and security issues.

"Comprehensive reform in all these areas is going to bring greater confidence among Lebanese, greater interest and confidence on the part of the international participants in your economy, and of course for all of you greater transparency and accountability of government," Welch said.

Welch will be meeting several Lebanese officials including the prime minister Fouad Sinioura and he did not put on his schedule to meet with the Lebanese president Emil Lahoud who has been exposed to a campaign by the Lebanese opposition demanding his to resignation under the pretext of his responsibility for the assassination of Hariri.

For his part, Sinioura expressed regret over the Syrian criticism campaign over what Syrian officials papers say a negative manner about him and his implicit accusations to Damascus on the responsibility of assassinating Hariri, following his recent visit to the USA.