    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [December 13, 2006]
    [Page 2179]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Government of Syria
    December 13, 2006

        The United States supports the Syrian people's desire for democracy,
    human rights, and freedom of expression. Syrians deserve a government
    whose legitimacy is grounded in the consent of the people, not brute
    force.
        The Syrian regime should immediately free all political prisoners,
    including Aref Dalila, Michel Kilo, Anwar al-Bunni, Mahmoud
    Issa, and Kamal Labwani. I am deeply troubled by reports that some ailing
    political prisoners are denied health care while others are held in
    cells with violent criminals.
        Syria should disclose the fate and whereabouts of the many missing
    Lebanese citizens who disappeared following their arrest in Lebanon
    during the decades of Syrian military occupation. The Syrian regime
    should also cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty by
    denying the Lebanese people their right to participate in the democratic
    process free of foreign intimidation and interference.
        The people of Syria hope for a prosperous future with greater
    opportunities for their children and for a government that fights
    corruption, respects the rule of law, guarantees the rights of all
    Syrians, and works toward achieving peace in the region.