"The United States is of one mind with the United Nations...to see Resolution 1559 implemented. And that means, broadly speaking,creating the conditions in Lebanon for the Lebanese people to freely choose their own government and for that government to exercise sovereignty over all of Lebanon, deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters.

Referring to Lebanese parliamentary elections slated for May, Ereli said, "we want those elections to be free of foreign interference. We can't imagine how that could happen if there are Syrian troops and intelligence operatives still in Lebanon."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan demanded Thursday that Syria withdraw all its troops from Lebanon before Lebanese parliamentaryelections in April and May, marking the first time he has set a specific timetable for Damascus.

Syria has pulled back army and intelligence agents to eastern Lebanon, with about 4,000 troops having crossed into Syria. About 10,000 troops remain along the Lebanese side of the border, and a date for a full withdrawal is to be set at a meeting of Syrian andLebanese officers scheduled for April 7.