WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (KUNA) -- Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said on Wednesday that the United States is making sure that no "illegitimate" candidate would assume presidency in Lebanon.

"We are working on the basis that there should be no effort to make Lebanon in any way set aside constitutional processes that would lead to a president that the United States of America would consider illegitimate in some fashion", said Rice before the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee.

"Lebanon is one of the key elements in getting a policy that will promote moderation and be able to resist extremism", she added.
Rice noted that US diplomacy is "extremely active right now" in Lebanon and in close contact with "our allies in the March 14 group" in Lebanon to see "what is acceptable to them and what is not".

"We are trying to call attention to the fact that the Syrian and Syrian-backed forces are trying to either intimidate or literally destroy the very people who would be able to bring about a democratic solution in Lebanon", she noted.

Rice added that the United States is trying to make sure that the international tribunal to trial the suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri is "fully funded" to begin its work.
Representative Gary Ackerman asked President George W. Bush to reiterate its commitment to Lebanons sovereignty and independence "in a specific major address" and asked for economic and political sanctions on Syria.
Ackerman, who summarized his points in a letter submitted to Rice, also asked Bush to appoint "a single figure in the United States government to be responsible for managing this crisis" in Lebanon.
He added that Congress is ready to provide any financial resources to the State Department to balance the influence of Syria and Iran in Lebanon