US posts warship off Lebanon coast
Anne Gearan – AP News February 28, 2008
The United States is sending a warship to the Middle East as tensions with Syria get worse. A U.S. official confirms that the warship U.S.S. Cole will patrol off the coast of Lebanon. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Thursday the deployment is meant as a show of support for regional stability. He addedhat President Bush is concerned about the situation in Lebanon.
The Cole is sailing to the region from Malta. It's a not-too-subtle show of U.S. force in the region as international frustration mounts over a long political deadlock in tiny, weak Lebanon.
The U.S. blames Syria for the impasse, saying Syria has never given up its ambitions to control its smaller neighbor.
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Last updated 01/03/2008