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Syria Criticizes U.S. Warship Deployment Off Lebanon as 'Muscle Flexing'
FOX News ^ | March 01, 2008 | AP

Posted on 03/01/2008 3:12:47 PM PST by forkinsocket

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Saturday that a U.S. Navy deployment off the coast of Lebanon threatens security in the region and warned the United States it cannot impose its own solution to the long-running political crisis in Lebanon.

"There is a history of American fleet intervention in Lebanon. I think these experiences were not at all useful," al-Moallem said.

The planned deployment of at least three warships, announced Thursday, appeared to be aimed at making an American show of strength at a time of increasing international frustration at the volatile political deadlock in Lebanon between the U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the Syria and Iran-backed opposition, led by Hezbollah.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters Friday that the warships are an important sign of U.S. commitment to security in the region. "It should provide comfort to our friends" and, for U.S. adversaries, "a reminder that we are there."

Al-Moallem said the American military move is counterproductive. "Such a show of force will not be useful and will not lead, as they claim, to security in the region. It is against the security of the region," he said.

"I say to those Lebanese who are betting on America's ... muscle flexing off the coast of Lebanon that this is a losing bet," he added. "America cannot impose a solution in Lebanon as it sees it."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: deployment; lebanon; syria; usn; warship
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1 posted on 03/01/2008 3:12:48 PM PST by forkinsocket
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To: forkinsocket

“muscle flexing”
Well,,, at least we have muscle to flex you twit!


2 posted on 03/01/2008 3:15:42 PM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: forkinsocket

Al-Moallem said the American military move is counterproductive. “Such a show of force will not be useful and will not lead, as they claim, to security in the region.”


Wanna bet?


3 posted on 03/01/2008 3:16:17 PM PST by bw17
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To: forkinsocket
"... I think these experiences were not at all useful,"...

Say what you want... we will see what transpires.

4 posted on 03/01/2008 3:21:38 PM PST by ken in texas (come fold with us - team #36120)
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To: forkinsocket
Syria Criticizes U.S. Warship Deployment Off Lebanon as 'Muscle Flexing'

Ya Think
5 posted on 03/01/2008 3:22:51 PM PST by uncbob
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To: forkinsocket

Actually I think the term “Anti-ballistic missile shielding” is more appropriate.

That is, if Syria launches any medium range missiles at Israel, they would have to keep them far back from the border so that Israel couldn’t easily hit them. However, a US ship off Lebanon could both spot them and shoot them down before they got close to Israel.

Which explains why Syria is pissing and moaning.


6 posted on 03/01/2008 3:23:09 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: forkinsocket

The Syrians talk...the U.S. sends warships.

At some point, even radical anti-Americans are going to figure out that opposing our interests militarily is a bad idea.


7 posted on 03/01/2008 3:25:20 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: forkinsocket

What would a president hussein obama do????


8 posted on 03/01/2008 3:32:06 PM PST by The Forgotten Man (He works, he votes, generally he prays--but he always pays....)
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To: forkinsocket

Yo Syria, up yours.
And take your orthodontist and shove him up your rear end.


9 posted on 03/01/2008 3:36:37 PM PST by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: forkinsocket

AND????


10 posted on 03/01/2008 3:41:54 PM PST by fedupjohn (If we try to fight the war on terror with eyes shut + ears packed with wax, innocent people will die)
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To: The Forgotten Man

11 posted on 03/01/2008 3:42:08 PM PST by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: forkinsocket

13 posted on 03/01/2008 3:51:40 PM PST by rlmorel (Liberals: If the Truth would help them, they would use it.)
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To: forkinsocket
Syria Criticizes U.S. Warship Deployment Off Lebanon as 'Muscle Flexing'

Hey these Syrian folks are pretty sharp, huh?

14 posted on 03/01/2008 3:54:21 PM PST by paulcissa (The first requirement of Liberalism is to stand on your head and tell the world they're upside down)
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To: forkinsocket
What the navy is sending over there now is very nice and very modern. Yet the biggest gun on any of them is a 5"-er. And the last time the U.S. got involved in Lebanon (i.e. Beirut) the only thing they listend to was one of these.

As a matter of fact they were pretty good at making most people listen to us for most of the last century.

USS NEW JERSEY underway off of Beirut.

ED

15 posted on 03/01/2008 4:11:13 PM PST by husky ed (FOX NEWS ALERT "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead" THIS HAS BEEN A FOX NEWS ALERT)
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To: forkinsocket

“Syria Criticizes U.S. Warship Deployment Off Lebanon as ‘Muscle Flexing’”

No, are ships are deployed there just because they can. That is all.

Disagree? Well get over it.


16 posted on 03/01/2008 4:22:05 PM PST by JSteff ( This election is about the 4 or 5 Supreme Court Justices who will retire . Vote Accordingly!)
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To: husky ed

How sad it is that Clinton KILLED those boats!

I hope we can get a President who will bring them BACK!


17 posted on 03/01/2008 4:31:11 PM PST by RachelFaith (Doing NOTHING... about the illegals already here IS Amnesty !!)
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To: forkinsocket
Saudi Arabia calls on its nationals to leave Lebanon immediately
18 posted on 03/01/2008 4:36:54 PM PST by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: RachelFaith
How sad it is that Clinton KILLED those boats!

Guess again, sugar.

BB-61 USS Iowa Decommissioned 26 October 1990

BB-62 USS New Jersey Decommissioned 8 February 1991

BB-63 USS Missouri Decommissioned 31 March 1992

BB-64 USS Wisconsin Decommissioned 30 September 1991

19 posted on 03/01/2008 5:30:15 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: forkinsocket

Heh, heh. Whatcha gonna do about it?


20 posted on 03/01/2008 5:36:19 PM PST by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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