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NATO 'Monitoring' Syria-Bound Iranian Warships

The NATO military alliance said Wednesday it was monitoring two Iranian warships that have entered the Mediterranean Sea, a presence that has unnerved Israel.

"We follow events in the region and we follow these two Iranian warships with as much interest as we do any other warships in the region," said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.

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Wife of Hannibal Gadhafi Aboard Jet that Was Denied Entry in Lebanon

A private Libyan jet that was prevented from landing at Beirut airport was carrying on board the Lebanese wife of one of Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi’s sons, Voice of Lebanon radio reported Wednesday.

VDL said Hannibal Gadhafi’s wife, who is from the Skaff family, and several members of the ruling family were aboard the jet that Lebanese aviation authorities refused to give the permission to land at Rafik Hariri international airport on Tuesday.

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Iranian Warships Reportedly Carrying Arms to Hizbullah, Iran Denies

Two Iranian warships that have sailed from the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean are carrying advanced missiles to Hizbullah, Israeli sources told Maariv daily.

The sources said in remarks published in the Israeli daily that the warships are carrying missiles, arms, ammunition and night-vision goggles to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

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Israel on High Alert as Syria-Bound Iranian Warships Enter Mediterranean

Israel put its navy on high alert and said it would respond immediately to any "provocation" as two Iranian warships sailed through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean on Tuesday.

The Iranian vessels entered the southeastern Mediterranean after going up the canal for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, reportedly en route for Syria, in a move taking them past Israeli territorial waters.

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Assad Says Arab Leaders Must Tune in to People's Needs

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday told a delegation of visiting U.S. senators that Arab leaders should tune in to their people's needs, state-run SANA news agency reported.

As anti-regime revolts rock several Arab nations, Assad said it is necessary "to better understand the will of the people and to carry out policies that reflect" their demands, SANA reported.

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Denial of Syrian Interference to Solve Lebanon Cabinet Dispute

Lebanese officials allied with Syria have denied to An Nahar newspaper that Damascus was meddling in the government formation process in Lebanon.

“It has been more than four weeks that Premier-designate (Najib) Miqati was tasked with forming the government without Syrian intervention,” the sources said.

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Beirut Refuses Libyan Jet Entry in Lebanon

Lebanese aviation authorities have reportedly refused to give the permission for a private Libyan jet with 10 people on board to land at Rafik Hariri international airport.

As Safir daily said Tuesday that the plane was due to take off from Tripoli’s airport before midnight but Lebanese authorities asked Libya to unveil the identity of the 10 people before allowing the jet to land in Lebanon.

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Report: Riyadh Sees Any Threat to Order in the Region as Gain for Iran, Syria, Hizbullah

As pro-democracy uprisings spread across the Middle East, Saudi authorities are feeling increasingly isolated and concerned that Washington may no longer be a reliable backer, officials and diplomats told the New York Times.

“The Saudis are completely encircled by the problem, from Jordan to Iraq to Bahrain to Yemen,” said one Arab diplomat, voicing a view that is common in the halls of power in Riyadh.

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Muallem Hopes Lebanese-Syrian Relations Would Prosper

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has hoped that Lebanese-Syrian ties would be similar to relations between Damascus and Ankara.

Last week, Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, praised booming ties with one-time foe Syria, saying that a joint dam project at the border between the two neighbors would further strengthen cooperation.

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Report: Qahwaji Discusses with Syrian Officials Consolidation of Lebanon Stability

Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji has reportedly visited Damascus to discuss with top Syrian military commanders cooperation between the two countries to preserve stability in Lebanon.

Lebanese security sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Friday that Qahwaji visited the Syrian capital several days ago and discussed with officials there “the ongoing military cooperation between the two countries to preserve security and stability in Lebanon which is witnessing political bickering over ongoing consultations to form the new government.”

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