[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 19 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[Page 690]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Statement on the Situation in Lebanon

May 12, 2008

    I strongly condemn Hizballah's recent efforts, and those of their 
foreign sponsors in Tehran and Damascus, to use violence and 
intimidation to bend the Government and people of Lebanon to their will. 
The United States will continue to firmly support the Government of 
Lebanon, led by Prime Minister Siniora, against this effort to undermine 
the hard-fought gains in sovereignty and independence the Lebanese 
people have made in recent years. The international community will not 
allow the Iranian and Syrian regimes, via their proxies, to return 
Lebanon to foreign domination and control. To ensure the safety and 
security of the people of Lebanon, the United States will continue its 
assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure they are able to 
defend the Lebanese Government and safeguard its institutions.
    It is critical that the international community come together to 
assist the Lebanese people in their hour of need. I plan to consult with 
regional leaders on my upcoming trip to the Middle East to coordinate 
efforts to support the Lebanese Government and implement U.N. Security 
Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701, among others, which seek to bolster 
Lebanon's sovereignty against external efforts at destabilization and 
interference. The Lebanese people have sacrificed much for the sake of 
their freedom, and the United States will continue to stand with them 
against this latest assault on their independence and security.