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U.S. President George W. Bush speaking at a White House news conference Thursday. (AP)
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Bush: My patience with Syria's Assad 'ran out a long time ago'
By Reuters
Tags: Iraq, Annapolis, George Bush 

U.S. President George W. Bush told a White House press conference Thursday that his patience with Syrian President Bashar Assad had run out long ago.

"Syria needs to stay out of Lebanon," Bush said when asked whether he would be willing to talk to Assad about stabilizing Lebanon, which is caught up in a political crisis.

T
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he Bush administration has tried to isolate Damascus diplomatically, though Syria sent representatives to the Annapolis peace conference hosted by the U.S. last month.

"My patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago," Bush said. "The reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq and he destabilizes Lebanon," Bush said.

Syria has denied U.S. allegations that it is interfering in neighboring Lebanon and trying to undermine its Western-backed government. Damascus withdrew its forces from Lebanon in 2005 after a 29-year military presence.

Syria's foreign minister insisted earlier on Thursday that Damascus is trying to help resolve Lebanon's presidential crisis. Lebanon's presidency has been vacant since November 23 when the term of pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud ended. France has been leading efforts to mediate a settlement between the Western-backed governing coalition and the opposition, led by groups with close ties to Damascus.

During his speech at the conference, Bush also said he was dissatisfied with political progress in Iraq but insisted the Iraqi government was making some advances.

"There is a functioning government," Bush claimed. "Are we satisfied with the progress in Baghdad? No." But he said it was wrong to say nothing was happening and asserted that Washington would keep up pressure for efforts at national reconciliation in Iraq.

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      1.   not much talk about Iran 19:22  |  Wendy 20/12/07
      2.   George Bush 19:28  |  H 20/12/07
      3.   Who is he kidding?? 19:31  |  Cool B 20/12/07
      4.   Uh, Wendy could that be that Iran is not making a nuke. 19:36  |  The Equalizer 20/12/07
      5.   That`s What I Like About Bush 19:37  |  Yosemite 20/12/07
      6.   1. not much talk about .... 19:39  |  Shmuel-Pigeon 20/12/07
      7.   hail bush 19:40  |  tony 20/12/07
      8.   Who the hell he thinks he is ??? 19:48  |  Sam (UK) 20/12/07
      9.   Bush has the brain of a spoilt-brat infant 19:49  |  Clickfool 20/12/07
      10.   I know, the Soprana`s were getting boring too in the end 19:52  |  Mark B. 20/12/07
      11.   But This Internaational Disaster still has patience 20:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
      12.   Fed up with Assad??? 20:07  |  Joe 20/12/07
      13.   To "H" No. 2: Yes, we are clever. Jealous? 20:29  |  Klomp 20/12/07
      14.   Most of the world`s patience with Bush ran out years ago too 20:36  |  1 state solution 20/12/07
      15.   We love Bush! 20:37  |  protected civilian 20/12/07
      16.   Dear President Bush: If True then Get Condi on Board 20:42  |  chick 20/12/07
      17.   To Joe the shmoe 20:46  |  dovale 20/12/07
      18.   @Gnome 20:50  |  Nada 20/12/07
      19.   Ready to go.... 20:52  |  Webster 20/12/07
      20.   Protected civilian-You are not alone! Bush 20:57  |  Klomp 20/12/07
      21.   BUSH IS AN IDIOT 21:04  |  JH 20/12/07
      22.   My, my, Sullivan, you turn a lot of cheeks 21:04  |  Jake 20/12/07
      23.   I Hate It When He`s right 21:05  |  dyinglikeflies 20/12/07
      24.   Jake only for those who ascend to the heights 21:22  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
      25.   waterboard Assad 21:33  |  Simon 20/12/07
      26.   This does beg the question 21:34  |  Colin Wright 20/12/07
      27.   One State Solution 21:34  |  George Kaplan 20/12/07
      28.   The personal attacks on Bush don`t matter 21:57  |  Voice of Reason 20/12/07
      29.   What`s up, Doc? 22:03  |  Phillipe T. Lucre 20/12/07
      30.   Bush is almost over anyway 22:05  |  Paulo 20/12/07
      31.   Those who insult Bush`s "intelligence" 22:06  |  John 20/12/07
      32.   Nobel Peace Prize for Bush & our IDF! 22:30  |  Talkbacker 20/12/07
      33.   cave canem! 22:32  |  christoph 20/12/07
      34.   #21 | @JH: If "Bush is an idiot" ... 22:34  |  Kid 20/12/07
      35.   When it comes to Mr. Bush we can ask only for one thing: 22:35  |  Human Rights Group 20/12/07
      36.   #31 John What is the alternative? 22:35  |  Mark B. 20/12/07
      37.   Take it easy! 22:37  |  Analyst 20/12/07
      38.   #31, John- We Need Clever AND Good 22:38  |  dyinglikeflies 20/12/07
      39.   Good! Now you understand Mr.President, we can´t give up on Golan! 22:39  |  Alicia 20/12/07
      40.   @Paulo 22:40  |  Born 20/12/07
      41.   @Klomp 22:43  |  protected civilian 20/12/07
      42.   @Alicia: Not giving up the Golan protects the Syrians 22:45  |  Winner 20/12/07
      43.   #28 Hillary has promised to clean after George 22:53  |  Alicia 20/12/07
      44.   BUSH BACKS THE OPPRESSORS 23:05  |  JH 20/12/07
      45.   Bush may have no "patience," but... 23:05  |  Maureen Ann 20/12/07
      46.   @Maureen Ann: When exactly did you stop counting? 23:09  |  Questionmark 20/12/07
      47.   JH, the OPPRESSORS are ... 23:11  |  Getting real 20/12/07
      48.   #42 Winner 23:12  |  Mark B. 20/12/07
      49.   Bush: My patience with Assad `ran out a long time ago` , BUT... 23:26  |  Natallie Durson 20/12/07
      50.   @43 Alicia, view from an European on Hilary 23:26  |  Mark B. 20/12/07
      51.   #46 Questionmark. Haaretz are quick off the mark today! 23:47  |  Maureen Ann 20/12/07
      52.   Hopefully Bush will end in a prison cell. 23:53  |  Michael 20/12/07
      53.   JH from Concord, you haven`t a clue what you are talking about 23:55  |  Jake 20/12/07
      54.   35 Strange kind of Human Rights Group 00:20  |  Michael 21/12/07
      55.   Puppet master blame game. Hassan? Syria? Iran? Russia? 00:25  |  Pablo B 21/12/07
      56.   #50 Mark B; ruminations on the Am elections 00:27  |  Alicia 21/12/07
      57.   Syria`s Assad or Assad`s Syria? 00:39  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/12/07
      58.   re Yaakov Sullivan #24 `Jake...` 00:56  |  Colin Wright 21/12/07
      59.   Well Then, Bomb Them 01:01  |  Patel 21/12/07
      60.   My patience with Bush has finally run out. 01:05  |  Pssd off American 21/12/07
      61.   how happy he is 01:19  |  the syrian 21/12/07
      62.   The Pyschopath in Chief 01:52  |  Mark Lincoln 21/12/07
      63.   Unlike Bush, Assad has the patience required 01:55  |  Pablo B 21/12/07
      64.   When will they ever learn........ 03:31  |  Mark Katzman 21/12/07
      65.   #30 Paulo, that should make no difference to you 04:15  |  Conroy 21/12/07
      66.   Sign of Bush`s impotence 05:30  |  Jon 21/12/07
      67.   No. 12, Joe 05:43  |  Sakura One 21/12/07
      68.   Waterboard Bush to find out about torture videos, etc 06:27  |  1 state solution 21/12/07
      69.   It`s A Cliche! PATIENCE MY ASSAD!!!!! 06:29  |  Yosemite 21/12/07
      70.   Oh Come On! I Love President Bush! 06:50  |  Yosemite 21/12/07
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