In an interview with the Syrian Al-Thawra newspaper on Tuesday, Lebanese president Emile Lahoud warned against the "Zionist lobby's effect on the US administration, which will soon discover that it was wrong in its calculations."
Lahoud declared that Arabs no longer trust the US as an honest broker in the Arab-Israel conflict. He therefore repeated calls for greater involvement in the Middle East by European states.
The Lebanese president further urged the American leadership to reconsider its recent decisions boycotting Syria. "The US administration must reconsider its decisions due to Syria's role at the regional level and because stability in the region can not be at Syria's expense," Lahoud told the Syrian newspaper, "Particularly when they have more than one time admitted Syria's remarkable role in combating terrorism."
Relations between Syria and Lebanon, which has been occupied by Syrian troops since 1976, were described by Lahoud as "historical", "distinguished" and "permanent". There are approximately 25,000 Syrian soldiers maintaining that relationship by their continued presence in Lebanon.
Despite Lahoud's statements to Al-Thawra, a public opinion poll published at the end of June demonstrated that 56% of the Lebanese reject Syrian occupation, with 69% opposing the continued reign of Emile Lahoud as president. 90% of the Lebanese people - including 92% of the Sunnis, 78% of the Shiites, 100% of the Druze, and 97% of the Maronites - reject any other Syrian-appointed president as well.
The poll, as reported upon by WorldNetDaily.com, was conducted by the Beirut weekly Al-Shiraa and included 550 Muslims and 450 Christians.
Lahoud declared that Arabs no longer trust the US as an honest broker in the Arab-Israel conflict. He therefore repeated calls for greater involvement in the Middle East by European states.
The Lebanese president further urged the American leadership to reconsider its recent decisions boycotting Syria. "The US administration must reconsider its decisions due to Syria's role at the regional level and because stability in the region can not be at Syria's expense," Lahoud told the Syrian newspaper, "Particularly when they have more than one time admitted Syria's remarkable role in combating terrorism."
Relations between Syria and Lebanon, which has been occupied by Syrian troops since 1976, were described by Lahoud as "historical", "distinguished" and "permanent". There are approximately 25,000 Syrian soldiers maintaining that relationship by their continued presence in Lebanon.
Despite Lahoud's statements to Al-Thawra, a public opinion poll published at the end of June demonstrated that 56% of the Lebanese reject Syrian occupation, with 69% opposing the continued reign of Emile Lahoud as president. 90% of the Lebanese people - including 92% of the Sunnis, 78% of the Shiites, 100% of the Druze, and 97% of the Maronites - reject any other Syrian-appointed president as well.
The poll, as reported upon by WorldNetDaily.com, was conducted by the Beirut weekly Al-Shiraa and included 550 Muslims and 450 Christians.