President Bush says the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, could become a part of Lebanon's political mainstream despite its past ties to terrorism.
However, he says Hezbollah must first disarm and then support the Middle East peace process.
The president spoke today (Tuesday) at the White House, alongside visiting Jordanian King Abdullah. Their two countries have been joined by the European Union and Saudi Arabia in launching an intense diplomatic push aimed at forcing Syria to withdraw from Lebanon.
Earlier today in Beirut, Syrian intelligence agents began evacuating offices in the Lebanese capital -- one day after a massive opposition protest aimed at ending Syria's military presence in the country.
Lebanon's opposition blames Damascus and Beirut's pro-Syrian government for the killing, but both deny involvement.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak paid an unscheduled visit to Damascus today, for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that diplomats say focused on the Syrian withdrawal.
Witnesses say that Syrian intelligence agents in the Lebanese capital have begun evacuating their headquarters -- one day after a massive protest in Beirut aimed at ending Syria's military presence in the country. Syrian agents were reported loading their belongings onto pickup trucks under the supervision of Lebanese police.
On Monday, hundreds of thousands of protesters jammed central Beirut, in the biggest anti-Syria rally since last month's assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon's opposition blames Damascus and Beirut's pro-Syrian government for the killing, but both deny involvement.
Elsewhere in Beirut, scores of Lebanese soldiers and riot police deployed today (Tuesday) outside the U.S. embassy, as hundreds of pro-Syrian protesters marched on the U.S. compound and burned an American flag. Demonstrators accuse Washington of pressuring Syria to withdraw from their country.