BEIRUT - Lebanese President Emile Lahoud made an unprecedented attack on a senior U.S. State Department official Friday, accusing him of taking sides in the country's internal debates and trying to give lessons in democracy.
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The deputy assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, David Satterfield, has "no right whatsoever to assess the Lebanese presidency's ability to protect Lebanon's interests and maintain stability," Lahoud said in a statement issued by his office.
Lahoud's sharp rebuke underlined the tension between Lebanon and the United States over a UN Security Council resolution demanding that Syria withdraw its troops from Lebanon. It also highlighted the political sensitivities within Lebanon as it approaches parliamentary elections in April and May in which the call for a Syrian withdrawal will be a major issue.
Satterfield, a former U.S. ambassador to Beirut, spoke on a popular call-in show that was broadcast on Thursday night by the private Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. television. In comments translated into Arabic, he urged Lebanon to implement the September UN resolution demanding that Syria withdraw its forces and stop interfering in Lebanon.
Satterfield also expressed concern over the debate on the draft law, saying the United States wants to see a law that "leads to a fair and honest election process."
In a remark that seemed to irritate Lahoud particularly, Satterfield questioned comments by some Lebanese government officials that the Lebanese army would not be able to control the country without Syrian forces. Lahoud commanded the army for eight years before he became president in 1998.
"I wonder how he doubts the capabilities of the Lebanese army to guarantee national decisions," Satterfield said in the broadcast.
Lahoud replied Friday: "He has no right to accuse the Lebanese presidency of having doubts about the capabilities of the Lebanese army."
The president accused Satterfield of taking sides in a national debate and of trying "to teach us lessons in democracy the way he understands it and to give us advice about the future of Lebanon."
Lahoud's pro-Syrian government opposes a withdrawal whereas opposition parties say Syria should pull out its 14,000 troops. The two sides are currently arguing over a draft electoral law which would redefine voting districts.
The draft, which parliament is expected to debate late this month, divides the country into small electoral districts, which favors the opposition. But the pro-Syrian camp is pushing for larger electoral areas.
Pro-Syrian politicians have repeatedly accused Satterfield of supporting the increasingly belligerent campaign against Syria. The Lebanese opposition, however, has denied taking instructions from Satterfield.
Lahoud accused Satterfield of being biased toward Israel during his tenure in Beirut in the late 1990s. "During his presence in Lebanon, he did not miss an opportunity without presenting demands that contained Israeli interests," the presidential statement said.
The Syrian army entered Lebanon ostensibly as peacekeepers in the second year of the 1975-90 civil war. The troops took sides in the conflict and afterward Syria became the undisputed power broker in the country.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to review compliance with the resolution in April.
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