|
|
Post by Salem6 on Feb 28, 2008 21:38:05 GMT
The United States has ordered a warship into position off the coast of Lebanon.  The USS Cole was sent there amid growing concern about the political impasse in the country, which has not had a president for four months. The Western-backed governing coalition and the Syrian and Iranian-backed opposition are at loggerheads. A US official quoted by news agencies said the destroyer's deployment off the coast was designed as a "show of support... for regional stability". The official told Reuters news agency that the US was concerned about the political deadlock in Lebanon, which Washington blames on Syrian interference. Lebanon's politicians have repeatedly failed to agree on a president amid months of wrangling between pro-and anti-Syrian factions. Clashes between supporters of the rival factions have further raised tensions and led several countries to advise their citizens against travelling to Lebanon. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned earlier this month that the country was "on the verge of civil war." "The United States believes a show of support is important for regional stability. We are very concerned about the situation in Lebanon. It has dragged on very long," said the unnamed US official. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7270102.stm |
|
|
|
Post by Salem6 on Feb 29, 2008 11:06:35 GMT
A Hezbollah MP has condemned the deployment of the USS Cole warship off the coast of Lebanon as a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and independence.  The USS Cole was attacked by al-Qaeda in 2000 The US is sending three warships to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support for "regional stability" during the political deadlock in Beirut. The deployment is seen as a warning to Syria, which backs the opposition, of which Hezbollah is part. But MP Hassan Fadlallah said the movement would not give in to threats. He told reporters: "It is clear this threat and intimidation will not affect us." "The American move threatens the stability of Lebanon and the region and it is an attempt to spark tension," he told Reuters news agency. "The American administration has used the policy of sending warships to support its allies in Lebanon before, and that experiment failed and backfired. "We don't succumb to threats and military intimidation practised by the United States to implement its hegemony over Lebanon." Support Lebanon has not had a president since 24 November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud left office. Parliament has repeatedly failed to elect a successor amid an ongoing row over candidates. The election was postponed once again this week, and is now due to take place on 11 March. There are fears that the political deadlock could lead to escalating sectarian violence. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Michael Mullen, said the presence of the USS Cole was important. He said the signal was "not specifically sent to any one country as much as it is to the region itself". "That's a very important part of the world and stability there is an important outcome for us," he said. The USS Cole is expected to take up position, out of visible range of Lebanon. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7270686.stm |
|
