Time for Syria to leave Lebanon: US official

"Syria must end its interference in Lebanese internal affairs, withdraw its forces from Lebanon and allow the Lebanese armed forces and government to establish their authority throughout Lebanon," William Burns, assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, told reporters.

"The time has come for concrete steps ... We stress that what is essential now is genuine progress not rhetoric."

US officials said earlier that Burns would discuss Lebanon and Iraq as well as the importance of border control in his meeting with Bashar. Washington is a regular critic of Syria's policies.

Last week the UN Security Council adopted a resolution drafted by the United States and France calling on all foreign forces to leave Lebanon, militias to disband and foreign governments to respect Lebanese sovereignty.

Despite the resolution, Lebanon's parliament changed the constitution to allow Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud to stay in office for three more years.

The resolution does not mention Syria by name, but it is seen as an attempt to stop Damascus's tight control of Lebanese politics and get rid of the 17,000 troops Syria keeps in its smaller neighbor.

Lebanon will send a delegation to the Security Council later this month to present Beirut's case. Syria has also rejected the resolution.

The assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, who arrived here Friday evening, met both President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara, diplomats said.

Burns' visit, the highest-level in more than a year, comes barely a week after Lebanese MPs adopted a Syrian-inspired constitutional amendment keeping pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud in office for another three years, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to such outside influence.

"Burns delivered a strong message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because it is time for Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon and for an end to all interference in its internal affairs," Burns' deputy Elizabeth Dibble told Beirut daily As-Safir in an interview published Friday.

"This is not a new message because he has been told in the past, but it is important to say it again at the highest level of the Syrian leadership," Dibble was quoted as saying by the Arabic-language paper.

Dibble noted that Lebanon was now off Burns' itinerary following the re-election of Lahoud.

"A visit by Burns to Beirut at the moment would be inopportune."