President Bush has warned Iran and Syria not to "meddle in Iraq" ahead of elections scheduled for January.
We will continue to make it clear to both Syria and Iran that . . . meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq is not in their interests.
President BushAt a White House meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Mr Bush urged Iraq's neighbours to help the interim government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi by enforcing border security restrictions in an effort to keep money and arms out of the hands of insurgents.
"We will continue to make it clear to both Syria and Iran that . . . meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq is not in their interests," Mr Bush said.
He spoke after Iraq's interim defense minister yesterday accused the two countries of aiding al-Qaeda Islamist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and former agents of Saddam Hussein to promote an insurgency that has intensified in recent weeks.
Iran and Syria deny any links to the Iraqi insurgents battling Iraqi security and US-led international forces.