UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council narrowly passed a resolution Thursday meant to stop Syria from interfering with Lebanon's upcoming presidential election. But in a major concession by the United States and France to win passage, the document dropped mention of both Syria and sanctions.
The measure received nine votes from the 15-member council -- the minimum for adoption. Six countries abstained. France and the United States, which have not seen eye to eye on a number of issues lately, including the war in Iraq, united to counter what they said was Syria's improper influence in Lebanon's political affairs.
They charged that Syria pressured the Lebanese government to amend the constitution to allow pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud to extend his six-year term by three years. Lebanon's Cabinet approved the change last week, and the 128-member parliament is expected to amend the constitution today, despite opposition from religious and political leaders.
Syria has maintained a strong influence in Lebanon for decades, having sent forces into the country in 1976 to try to curb the civil war. Nearly 20,000 troops remain there, although the conflict ended nearly 15 years ago.
"It is wrong for Syria to continue to maintain its forces in Lebanon ... and it would be very wrong of Syria to continue to interfere in the presidential electoral process in Lebanon," U.S. Ambassador John C. Danforth said after the vote.
Without naming Syria, the resolution calls on "all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon" and urges that the upcoming presidential election be "conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence."
Syrian Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad called the resolution a "big failure."
"With all the pressure and arm-twisting and contacts at the highest levels, the U.S. could not get the necessary votes with any mention of Syria or sanctions," he said.
President Bush and his French counterpart, Jacques Chirac, reportedly telephoned the heads of states of council members to lobby for the resolution. Britain and Germany signed on as co-sponsors.
The measure faced stiff resistance from China, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria, which questioned the resolution's legal basis and argued that the council had no right to meddle in a country's domestic politics.
