More Whitehouse Crap: Iran, Syria plotting against Beirut

It’s getting almost comical now as the US sink to new lows in their propaganda war.

The US says it has “mounting evidence” that Iran, Syria and Hezbollah were “preparing plans to topple” the government of Lebanon.

Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday that Damascus hoped to derail efforts to set up an international tribunal to try those accused of taking part in the 2005 murder of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister.

“Any such effort to sideline the tribunal will fail, however, for the international community can proceed with establishing it no matter what happens internally in Lebanon,” said Snow.

“The United States is committed to working with its international partners and the legitimate government of Lebanon to ensure that the tribunal is quickly established and that all those responsible for the assassinations of Rafiq Hariri and other Lebanese patriots since 2005 are brought to justice.”

“Support for a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Lebanon is a key element of US policy in the Middle East.”

“We are therefore increasingly concerned by mounting evidence that the Syrian and Iranian governments, Hezbollah and their Lebanese allies are preparing plans to topple Lebanon’s democratically elected government, led by Prime Minister [Fuad] Siniora.”

“Any attempt to destabilize Lebanon’s democratically elected government through such tactics as manufactured demonstrations and violence, or by physically threatening its leaders, would, at the very least, be a clear violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Jumblatt calls for international trial

The statement came two days after Walid Jumblatt, the leader of Lebanon’s Druze sect, sought US backing for the international court to try suspects in Hariri’s murder.

Jumblatt said he discussed the proposed tribunal with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during an unannounced meeting.

The Druze leader notably complained of opposition to the court from Emil Lahoud, Lebanon’s pro-Syrian president.

“If someone opposes this international court, that means that he is covering up the crime,” Jumblatt, a leading anti-Syrian figure in Lebanon’s parliament, told reporters after meeting Rice at the US state department on Monday.

Aljazeera + Agencies