Syria says U.S. "muscle flexing" won't work in Lebanon

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria on Saturday accused the United States of prolonging a crisis in Lebanon by deploying a warship off the country's coast and said that Washington could not impose a solution by "flexing its muscles".

In the first reaction by the Damascus government to Washington's announcement on Thursday of the deployment of the USS Cole, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said force was not the answer to Lebanon's political problems.

"We have been saying that the United States was obstructing the political solution in Lebanon and the existence of this ship affirms this," Moualem said after meeting Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League.

"Those Lebanese who are betting on the United States flexing its muscles will be disappointed. Washington cannot impose the solution it wants. The way out has to be based on a Lebanese consensus," Moualem told reporters.

Lebanon's 15-month power struggle has turned into a test of wills between the pro-Western government and Hezbollah-led opposition. Syria and Iran support the Shi'ite movement.

The United States had suggested that the Lebanese parliament majority it backs could elect a president on their own. The post has been vacant since November.

ARAB INITIATIVE

Moualem said this would be counter to an Arab initiative for a comprehensive solution to the crisis.