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Syria Rejects US Accusation of Seeking to Overthrow Lebanon's Government

02 November 2006

Syria has rejected an accusation by the White House that Damascus is collaborating with Iran and the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah to topple Lebanon's government.

The foreign ministry Thursday said in a statement that since Syria withdrew from Lebanon, Damascus has been ready to support any agreement reached by the Lebanese through their national dialogue.

Syria ended a 29-year military presence in Lebanon in 2005, amid massive protests following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Lebanon PM Fuad Saniora arrives for Rome conference
Fuad Siniora  (file photo)
Wednesday, the White House warned Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, and their Lebanese allies not to try to destabilize the elected government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. 

A spokesman said any attempt to undermine Lebanon's government would violate the country's sovereignty and U.N. resolutions.

In other news, an internal document from the Israeli military says Israel's flights over Lebanon are meant to pressure the international community into doing more to stop arms from being smuggled to Hezbollah, and to win the release of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers.

Hezbollah's abduction of the soldiers in July sparked a war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.

The United Nations and Lebanon have called on Israel to stop the flights over Lebanon, saying they are a violation of a U.N. Security Council ceasefire resolution in August that ended the war. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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