MAINZ, Germany, 24 February 2005 — US President George W. Bush demanded yesterday that Syria pull its security services as well as its army from Lebanon, echoing France’s remarks that Syrian intelligence controlled the country.
But Bush said before seeking UN sanctions, Washington would see how Syria responded to international clamor for it to quit Lebanon.
“We will see how they (the Syrians) respond before there are any further discussions about going back to the United Nations,” Bush told a news conference he held with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder here.
Bush said the withdrawal demand applies not just to Syrian troops but also to Syrian secret services. “We will see how they (the Syrians) respond before there are any further discussions about going back to the United Nations,” Bush said after consultations on the matter with European leaders this week.
Bush and Schroeder put aside their dispute over Iraq and united in warning Iran against developing a nuclear weapon.
“It’s vital that the Iranians hear the world speak with one voice that they shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon,” Bush said.
“We absolutely agree that Iran must say no to any kind of nuclear weapon, full stop,” Schroeder said through an interpreter during the news conference. “They must waive any right to the production of them.”
At the same time, Bush sought to soothe European worries that he plans to use military force against Iran, saying that “all options are on the table,” but stressing that “diplomacy is just beginning” and that “Iran is not Iraq.”
Bush has repeatedly praised the diplomatic outreach by Britain, France and Germany, but paired it with increasing impatience at Tehran’s response and has steadfastly refused to rule out military force.
“There needs to be movement on both sides,” said Schroeder. “We’ll continue to talk tactics,” said Bush.
On Iraq, Bush and Schroeder both said it was time to end their dispute over the March 2003 invasion, which at one point had poisoned US-German relations so badly that the two leaders were barely on speaking terms.
“Nobody wants to conceal that we had different opinions about these things in the past, but that is the past,” said Schroeder. “Now our joint interest is that we come to a stable, democratic Iraq.”
Anti-Bush Protest
Around 12,000 protesters, some carrying banners saying “Bush go home”, “War Monger” and “No. 1 Terrorist”, marched through the German town of Mainz yesterday but were kept away from the visiting US president.
The largely peaceful rally never got within a kilometer of US President George W. Bush, who is on his first German visit since the 2003 Iraq war, which was deeply unpopular in Germany.
“I’m disgusted by the war in Iraq Bush started that has cost thousands of civilian lives,” said Thomas Odenweller, 49, a computer technician. “Now he’s trying to normalize relations with Europe. It must be stopped.”
Ignoring snow and freezing temperatures, the demonstrators held banners chastising Bush in English with slogans such as: “You can bomb the world to pieces but not into peace.” Many had pre-printed posters reading: “Bush, No. 1 Terrorist”.
Before the march, one speaker told the crowd: “Mr. Bush, please leave our country. You started an illegal war against Iraq.”
German police confiscated one poster that read: “We had our Hitler, now you have yours.”
