The White House on Tuesday took a wait-and-see approach to word of Syria's military withdrawal from Lebanon, saying the United States needed to see UN verification of the pull-out.
"It's important that there be a complete withdrawal of all military forces and intelligence services. We will see what the UN assessment team reports," said spokesman Scott McClellan.
"We want to make sure that Lebanon can move forward with free and fair elections without any outside interference," McClellan said as US President George W. Bush traveled here to promote his domestic agenda.
McClellan said Washington had taken note of Syria's announcement that it had fully withdrawn its troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence, but emphasized the importance of a formal UN assessment.
On Tuesday, a UN team charged with verifying the withdrawal was due to meet the Syrian army command in Damascus to obtain maps and documents before travelling on to Lebanon.
Lebanon's new Prime Minister Nagib Miqati said last week he aimed to hold elections on May 29.
Lebanon's opposition and the international community, led by the United States and France, have been insisting on holding parliamentary elections on time -- by the end of May.