WASHINGTON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday again accused Syria of interfering in Lebanon's affairs and allowing insurgents to enter Iraq which shares common border with Syria.

    "Our message to (Syrian President) Bashar Assad is that we expect -- if they want to be a welcomed country into the world, that they have got to free Lebanon, shut down cross-border infiltration, and stop allowing Hezbollah, PIJ (Palestine Islamic Jihad) and other terrorist groups to meet inside the country," Bush told the Freedom House, an independent pro-democracy group.

    Syria's alleged failure to stop insurgents from going into Iraqhas "required us to adjust our tactics on the ground," Bush said.

    The Bush administration has long criticized the Syrian government for not locking down the Syrian side of the border to extremists opposed to the US-led coalition in Iraq.

    But Damascus rejects the claims, arguing it is impossible to seal the border.

    Under pressure from the United States, France and the United Nations, Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April 2005. But Washington said that Syrian intelligence units remain operating in Lebanon.

    "There was a troop withdrawal, as you know. My main concern is to whether or not they withdraw more than just troops; whether they withdraw intelligence services and people that were in a position to influence the future of the country," Bush said, noting "We expect the Syrians to allow the Lebanese democracy to evolve."

    Bush also called on Syria to have cooperation with the United Nations on the investigation of assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

    It is "very important that there be full cooperation in the (UN) investigation of the death of Mr Hariri," Bush said.

    Syria is accused of involvement in the February 14, 2005 bomb blast in the Lebanese capital which killed Hariri. But Syria has denied it has any links to the killing of Hariri. Enditem