DAMASCUS, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad criticized Saturday a recently adopted UN resolution on Lebanon's sovereignty, saying it was a mistake and a double-standard policy.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day Syrian ExpatriatesConference, Assad said that Syria would criticize the mistakes (in the United Nations) "particularly the double-standard policy ... , including the resolution 1559 which depicted as if it was issued toprotect Lebanon's independence."

    The United States, which accused Syria of exerting too much influence over extending incumbent Lebanese President Emile Lahoud's six-year term, circulated a draft resolution to other Security Council members last month, demanding respect for Lebanon's sovereignty and a withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon.

    The UN Security Council then narrowly adopted Resolution 1559 onSyria, voicing support for pulling Lebanon free from outside influence and calling for the withdrawal of all remaining foreign forces from the country.

    The resolution did not mention Syria by name, but clearly aimed at Damascus as the Arab country still has 14,000 to 16,000 troops there.

    Assad said that the resolution was issued not because of the extension of the presidential term for Emile Lahoud, as "there was no relation between the articles of the resolution and the issue ofthe extension of the presidential term."

    "It aimed at other objectives away from what it had been submitted for. It aimed at internationalization of the Lebanese internal situation," asserted the president.

    Without mentioning the United Nations by name, Assad said the international institutions founded for benefit and peace of the world "were transformed into tools of the super powers at the expense of smaller states."

    Assad denied the accusations that Syria had pressed Lebanon's parliament to extend Lahoud's term by three years, while saying Resolution 1559 amounted to interference in Lebanon's internal affairs.

    "Certain forces speak of Syrian domination of Lebanon. We have no interest in such domination," Assad said.

    "We did not ask for any wealth, oil or electricity (from Lebanon). ... If we wanted to impose our hegemony, then why did we carry out redeployments of our forces over the last five years," hesaid.

    Syria sent troops to Lebanon at Beirut's request in 1976, a yearafter a civil war broke out and remained as a power-broker there.

    Damascus and Beirut insisted that Syria's military presence in Lebanon was under bilateral agreements and any manoeuvre concerningSyrian troops there should be taken by both sides.

    Some 3,000 Syrian troops were redeployed after Resolution 1559 was adopted, but UN chief Kofi Annan said Damascus and Beirut failed to carry out the resolution. Enditem