Due to Lebanon's failure to comply with United Nations resolution 1559 and consequently dealing with the Syrian presence in the country, the U.S. is currently studying the possibility of imposing sanctions on Lebanon similar to those imposed on Syria earlier this year, according to a report by An Nahar Friday. The paper revealed that the White House was studying with the anti-terrorism office at the U.S. Treasury Department the possibility of freezing the assets of Lebanese investors in the U.S, "who are acting as a cover for the Syrian presence in Lebanon by being part of the government", according to diplomatic sources.

The paper said the assets of those Lebanese are estimated at millions of dollars in different U.S. cities including Boston and New York. An Nahar quoted the sources as saying, "The move was serious since the Middle East desk at the National Security Council was studying it and that the State Department was aware of it". The sources warned that the statements by U.S. officials regarding Lebanon "should be taken into consideration", referring to the recent statement by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, saying that the newly formed Lebanese cabinet was "made in Syria".

The sources went to say that the draft of the sanctions act was being prepared at a quicker rate than that drafted against Syria called the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, The act was passed by Congress last December and the sanctions were effectively imposed last May. The sources said that one explanation for the quick process was that "the U.S. wants to remove all the security hurdles that stand in the way of its economic, political, social vision of the region, manifested in its Greater Middle East Initiative for reform".

According to An Nahar, the sources noted that the National Security Council "was working as if President George W. Bush was going to be reelected next Tuesday". The sources added that until now "Lebanon had dealt in a vague and uncertain way with UN resolution 1559". The resolution called on Syria, without naming it to withdraw its troops from Lebanon and stop meddling in its affairs against the backdrop of Syria's interference in favor of extending the mandate of pro-Syria President Emile Lahoud last September. They said that Lebanon had reiterated "its respect" for the resolution while at the same time saying that "its timing was inappropriate".