Lebanon Slaying Complicates U.S. Hopes

President Bush speaks after a breakfast with troops at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak - AP)

WASHINGTON -- President Bush called Lebanon's leader Wednesday to express his dismay at the assassination of a cabinet minister _ a slaying that heightened anxiety in the Mideast and complicated Bush's meeting in the region next week with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The United States denounced the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, the minister of industry and a strong opponent of Syrian influence in Lebanon, as an act of terrorism. Bush accused Syria and Iran of trying to undermine the young, democratically elected government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, which is being challenged by the Islamic militant group Hezbollah.

"President Bush reiterated to Prime Minister Saniora the unwavering commitment of the United States to help build Lebanese democracy, and to support Lebanese independence from the encroachments of Iran and Syria," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House.

Syria has denied involvement in the killing.

"We're not making any direct accusations, but let me say that the trends and the record seem to be very clear," C. David Welch, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, said in an interview Wednesday with al-Arabiya Television. "The implication that Syria may be involved is, of course, a very heavy one, but the burden of responsibility that Syria bears not to interfere in the situation in Lebanon could not be more important than at this moment."

As the situation in Lebanon seemed to worsen, the White House announced that Bush would go to Jordan next week to talk to al-Maliki about how to speed up the transfer of security responsibilities to the Iraqis.

National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said the two leaders would hear from a joint commission they set up to identify ways to strengthen Iraqi security forces and to improve the Iraqi government's control over them.

Vice President Dick Cheney is also headed for the region. He is to meet on Saturday in Saudi Arabia with Saudi King Abdullah to discuss developments in the Middle East, then return to Washington with no other stops planned.

Bush's visit with al-Maliki, an attempt to reassert U.S. influence in the region, could help the president show that he hasn't lost control of the situation in Iraq to neighboring Syria and Iran _ two countries the United States has accused of meddling in Baghdad's affairs. This week, Iraq and Syria restored diplomatic ties after nearly a quarter century.

Al-Maliki visited the United States in late July, a month after Bush made an unannounced trip to Baghdad. Amman, Jordan, was viewed as a less dangerous location than Baghdad for the upcoming meeting.

Plans for the get-together on Wednesday and Thursday follow Iran's invitation to host the Iraqi and Syrian presidents this weekend in Tehran _ an invitation thought to be an attempt by Tehran to upstage expected U.S. moves to enlist Syria and Iran in dealing with the chaos in Iraq.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he would attend. Participation of Syrian President Bashar Assad had not been confirmed, but Talabani's aides, speaking on condition of anonymity because of sensitive negotiations surrounding the meeting, said Assad would be there.