Bush proclaims some Syrians non grata

By · June 29, 2007

President Bush banned travel to the United States for Syrian and Lebanese individuals deemed to support terrorism or the undermining of Lebanon’s government.

Banned individuals include those “who deliberately undermine or harm Lebanon’s sovereignty, its legitimate government, or its democratic institutions, or contribute to the breakdown in the rule of law in Lebanon, including through the sponsorship of terrorism, politically motivated violence or intimidation, or the reassertion of Syrian control in Lebanon,” said the proclamation issued Friday.

The proclamation says the list could include government officials and former officials in both countries as well as those who do business with them.

The State Department is responsible for the list. Reuters and CNN said the Syrian director of intelligence and the top Syrian national security adviser were already on the list. Bush has already instituted a broad range of economic sanctions on Syria, partly for its backing of anti-Israel terrorist groups.