Syrian dictator Bashar Assad had indicated that Syrian occupying forces would withdraw from parts of Lebanon but President Bush has rejected this proposal as inadequate, saying he would not accept 'half-measures' by Syria.

'There are no half-measures at all,' Bush said on a PR trip to New Jersey to promote his social security reform plan. 'When the United States and France say withdraw, we mean complete withdrawal, no halfhearted measures.'

Syria has been under strong international pressure to withdraw from Lebanon since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri last month. Although Syria has denied any involvement in Hariri's murder, protests against the Syrian supported puppet government of Lebanon have drawn international attention to the issue in recent weeks.

In addition to the United States and France, Russia, Egypt and now Saudi Arabia have also asked that Syrian troops end their occupation of their neighbor to the south.

'Syria, Syrian troops, Syria's intelligence services, must get out of Lebanon now,' President Bush said. 'The world is beginning to speak with one voice. We want that democracy in Lebanon to succeed, and we know it cannot succeed so long as she is occupied by a foreign power and that power is Syria.'

Most experts expect Assad to announce some kind of compromise proposal shortly.