Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

President Bush Criticizes Syria in Speech

By VOA News
11 November 2005

President Bush has called on Syria to "stop exporting violence and start importing democracy".

The president spoke Friday at a Veterans Day ceremony at a military base in Pennsylvania.

He said Syria should cooperate fully with a United Nations investigation into the shooting death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.  He also criticized Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for delivering what Mr. Bush called "a strident speech" that lashed out at both the Lebanese government and the U.N. probe of Mr. Hariri's death.  

Mr. Bush also called on Syria to stop, in his words, "trying to intimidate and destabilize" Lebanon.

Mr. Bush also criticized the Syrian government for arresting opposition activist Kamal Labwani for, in the president's words, serving as an advocate for democratic reform.

Some information for this story provided by AP and Reuters.