Rice: Syria Must Keep Lebanon Jury Safe

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice listens as she takes part in a one-day conference about Darfur, Monday, June 25, 2007 in Paris. France pressed Monday for international financing of a new, enlarged peacekeeping force for Darfur, and decried the world's lack of action on the crisis there. "Silence is killing," said President Nicolas Sarkozy. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) (Michel Euler - AP)

Rice's 90-minute breakfast meeting with Saniora closed out a two-day diplomatic trip to Paris. The U.S. and France have teamed up to pressure Syria to keep out of the affairs of its smaller neighbor, and to bolster the Western-backed Saniora's tenuous hold on power. Saniora also saw new French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday.

Rice has warned in the past that Saniora's government was at risk of falling apart. Some in the region have sounded similar warnings, saying giving Hezbollah veto power would bring Lebanon back under the influence of Iran and Syria, the main supporters of the Shiite guerrillas.

She sounded more reassured Tuesday.

"I think he would be the first to say that given all that they're dealing with it's always difficult, and always in some sense fragile," Rice said. "But what's remarkable about this government is they keep responding to the challenges and overcoming them."

Collapse of Lebanon's government would be a major setback to a rare recent U.S. diplomatic success in the Middle East.

The United States was a behind-the-scenes player in forcing Syria to withdraw its army from Lebanon after Hariri's killing, and backed the nearly unblemished elections that brought Saniora to power.

Lebanon's parliament is not functioning and the government just barely, after a quarter of the Cabinet members resigned. Opposition supporters have been holding a sit-in outside Saniora's office since Dec. 1, calling for his resignation and the formation of a new government.

Saniora has refused to step down.

The Lebanese army has also been battling al-Qaida-inspired militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon for more than a month. Separately, the country is still fixing the damage inflicted by Israeli bombers in last year's war between the Jewish state and Hezbollah guerrillas based in Lebanon.

Rice said she and Saniora discussed U.S. aid operations in Lebanon, including millions she pledged in January to help rebuild roads, bridges and other crucial infrastructure damaged in the 34-day war last summer.