Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Iran, Syria and the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah must be ``called to account'' for creating chaos in Lebanon, President George W. Bush said, after riots last week in the capital, Beirut.

In a statement released by the White House yesterday, Bush said he was ``deeply disappointed'' by the violence, which erupted as international donors pledged a total of $7.6 billion in new funds to help rebuild Lebanon after Israel's war against Hezbollah last July and August.

``While Lebanon's friends seek to help the Lebanese government build a free, sovereign and prosperous country, Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are working to destabilize Lebanese society,'' Bush said.

Hezbollah, whose name means Party of God, is trying to topple the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, which has close relations with the Bush administration. The group, which is backed by Syria and Iran, is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.

Hezbollah and its backers ``foment violence'' to stop Lebanon's participation in a United Nations tribunal designed to prosecute suspects in the 2005 car bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Bush said. Siniora and his allies blame Syria for the death.

They are also trying to ``prevent full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions calling for Hezbollah's disarmament,'' Bush added.

Beirut Riots

Rioting broke out in Beirut on Jan. 25 between government and Hezbollah supporters, hours after the World Bank and countries including Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and France pledged funding at a conference in Paris. Two days earlier, Hezbollah organized strikes and protests in Beirut, in which three people died and at least 100 were injured.

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said Jan. 27 the violence may threaten delivery of the aid.

Siniora's coalition includes Sunni and Christian groups along with the country's Druze minority. Hezbollah leads a mainly Shiite bloc with some Christian allies.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the only reason the government had not fallen yet was because of ``the patriotic feelings of the opposition and its desire to preserve civil peace.''

The opposition ``has the political, popular and organizational strength to bring down the government,'' Nasrallah said. ``We have not exhausted our options. The next moves will be stronger and more effective.''

Rocket Attacks

Hezbollah has been linked to rocket attacks on Israel, bombings in Beirut in 1983 that killed 241 U.S. Marines and 58 French soldiers, and an attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994 that killed 85 people. Hezbollah denies involvement in the bombings.

Lebanon's public debt equals about 180 percent of the country's $22 billion gross domestic product. The war with Israel damaged major roads and hundreds of houses and buildings. This year's government deficit will increase to 14 percent of GDP compared with nine percent last year, according to Economy Ministry forecasts.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 29, 2007 21:50 EST