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Bush tells Abdullah time not ripe for dialogue with Syria 
AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 29 4:38 PM
US President George W. Bush told King Abdullah II of Jordan the time was not ripe for dialogue with Syria, which would only see encouragement for its interference in Lebanon, a White House official said here.Talks with Syria would be akin to approval - Bush The Daily Star Lebannon - Nov 30 1:36 PM
US President George W. Bush told King Abdullah II of Jordan on Wednesday the time was not ripe for dialogue with Syria, which would only see encouragement for its interference in Lebanon, a White House official said here. The king told the president during a dinner at Amman's Raghadan Palace that a solution to the Palestinian problem.Iran, Syria review regional developments Islamic Republic News Agency - Nov 30 7:45 AM
Iran - Syria -Regional developments Iran's Ambassador to Damascus Mohammad Hassan Akhtari conferred with the Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara on issues of mutual concerns.Iran, Syria agree to connect power networks via Iraq, Turkey Payvand Iran News - Nov 30 7:22 AM
Iran and Syria on Wednesday reached an agreement to connect their electricity networks via Turkey and Iraq, Iran Energy Minister said. -MNAGerman foreign minister may include Syria in tour AlertNet - Nov 30 5:11 AM
Source: Reuters BERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier may visit Syria during a four-day visit to the Middle East to prepare for the country's EU presidency which starts in January ... What Iran & Syria Want RealClearPolitics.com via Yahoo! News - Nov 29 6:02 AM
On Thursday, President Bush will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki in Jordan. The vast majority of the meeting will undoubtedly focus on the challenges of controlling the sectarian violence in Iraq and achieving national reconciliation, but the President should also get a thorough debriefing on Iraq's recent dealings with Iran and Syria.France, U.S. agree useless to talk to Syria: Chirac Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 29 5:23 AM
France and the United States agree there is no point in talking to Syria because the conditions for an honest dialogue do not exist, President Jacques Chirac said on Wednesday.More Iraqi Refugees Escape to Syria ABC News - Nov 29 11:30 AM
Thousands More Iraqi Refugees Escape Daily to Syria, Fleeing Violence for Precarious ExistenceAssad: Syria to Challenge U.S. Efforts Los Angeles Times - Nov 29 8:37 AM
DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday his country will continue to challenge U.S. efforts to exert control over the Middle East, sounding a defiant tone ahead of President Bush's arrival in the region for talks on Iraq.Time not ripe for dialogue with Syria: Bush Khaleej Times - Nov 29 7:22 PM
AMMAN - US President George W. Bush told King Abdullah II of Jordan on Wednesday the time was not ripe for dialogue with Syria, which would only see encouragement for its interference in Lebanon, a White House official said here.Iran, Syria to connect power networks via Turkey IranMania.com - Nov 29 8:36 PM
LONDON, November 30 (IranMania) - Iran and Syria reached an agreement to connect their electricity networks via Turkey and Iraq, Iran Energy Minister said, MNA reported.Syria: Islamic militant suicide attacker hits Lebanese border CNN.com - Nov 28 2:15 PM
JDEIDET YABOUS, Syria (AP) -- A Syrian Islamic militant leader trying to cross into Lebanon engaged Syrian border forces in a gunbattle before blowing himself up Tuesday.More Iraqi Refugees Escape to Syria phillyburbs.com - Nov 29 10:18 AM
DAMASCUS, Syria - The Syrian capital is bustling with Iraqi refugees who fled the increasingly brutal violence in their homeland, and thousands more are arriving every day.France stands by US refusal to engage Syria The Daily Star Lebannon - Nov 29 12:48 PM
France and the United States agree there is no point in talking to Syria because the conditions for an honest dialogue do not exist, President Jacques Chirac said on Wednesday. His comment came as US President George W. Bush is under strong domestic pressure to talk to Syria and Iran in an effort to reduce sectarian violence and avert civil war in Iraq.Iran, Syria agree on quadripartite power network in western Iran Islamic Republic News Agency - Nov 29 9:33 AM
Iran - Agreement - Syria Energy Minister Parviz Fattah said here Wednesday that in today's meeting with the visiting Syrian Minister of Electricity Ahmad Khaled al-Ali, it was agreed to connect the power network of the two countries via Turkey and Iraq.Defense nominee Gates favors seeking help from Iran and Syria USA Today - Nov 29 5:14 AM
Robert Gates, President Bush's nominee for defense Secretary, has told the Senate Armed Services that he is in favor of seeking help from Iran and Syria in stabilizing the situation in Iraq, the Associated Press reports. That signals he may...Militant said to kill self in Syria Boston Globe - Nov 29 12:38 AM
JDEIDET YABOUS, Syria -- The Syrian leader of an Islamic militant group blew himself up yesterday after trying to cross into Lebanon and engaging in a gunbattle with Syrian forces. Two border guards were wounded.Blast at Syria-Lebanon border AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 7:32 AM
An explosion has occurred at the Jadaydet Yabus passageway in southwest Syria on the main border road leading into Lebanon.Iranian companies investments in Syria stand at dlrs 300m Islamic Republic News Agency - Nov 29 6:39 AM
Iran - Syria - Investment Iranian companies have invested over 300 million dollars in Syria to carry out different projects, Syrian Minister of Electricity Ahmad Khaled al-Ali said here Wednesday.France holds Iraq-bound student expelled from Syria AlertNet - Nov 29 4:25 AM
Source: Reuters PARIS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - French domestic intelligence detained a French engineering student on Wednesday after he was expelled from Syria on suspicion of attempting to join Islamists fighting U.S.- ... Gates at odds with Bush over Iran, Syria UPI - Nov 29 5:37 AM
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush's nominee to be the next defense secretary, Robert Gates, disagrees with the president and wants dialogue with Syria and Iran.Iraq must decide on Iran, Syria talks: Bush AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 3:15 AM
US President George W. Bush says it is up to Iraq to decide whether its neighbours Iran and Syria should be more involved in helping to re-establish security there.Iraq Panel To Call For Gradual Pullback CBS News - Nov 30 5:37 PM
A bipartisan commission next week will unveil long-awaited recommendations for a new U.S. policy in Iraq, which call for a gradual pullback of U.S. troops there and direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria.Report: Syria planned to kill 36 Lebanese public figures Al Bawaba - Nov 29 6:01 AM
Syria was reported on Wednesday to have dispatched some 200 agents to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon to assassinate 36 Lebanese public figures. The anti-Syrian Al-Mustaqbal daily reported President Assad's "terrorist plot" was part of a propaganda prepared by the Syrian regime.Bipartisan war strategy no sure thing / Bush, Democrats worlds apart on troops, role of Iran and Syria San Francisco Chronicle - Nov 30 1:49 AM
Strong views expressed Tuesday by President Bush and House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi showed that, even as a bipartisan group met in Washington to try to devise a common strategy on the Iraq war, the nation's political leaders remain sharply divided about how... Report: Panel to call for U.S. pullback AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 3:11 AM
A bipartisan commission next week will unveil long-awaited recommendations for a new U.S. policy in Iraq that a published report said would call for a gradual pullback of U.S. troops there without a timetable and direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria.Talk about Talks with Iran and Syria Payvand Iran News - Nov 30 7:24 AM
President Bush's meeting with the Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday follows earlier talks in Tehran between the presidents of Iran and Iraq. As VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports, the politics of who talks with whom are controversial.Syria: Islamic militant leader killed in suicide attack at Lebanon-Syria border CP via Yahoo! Canada News - Nov 28 3:27 PM
JDEIDET YABOUS, Syria (AP) - The Syrian leader of an Islamic militant group blew himself up Tuesday after trying to cross into Lebanon and engaging in a gunbattle with Syrian border forces. Two border guards were wounded.A-G Rejects Bid To Ban Arab Party after MKs Visit Syria Israel National News - Nov 29 3:30 AM
(IsraelNN.com) Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and the Justice Ministry Wednesday rejected a demand for dissolving an Arab whose MKs have visited Syria and Lebanon, classified as enemy states.Ahead of Iraq report, views mixed on wisdom of engaging with Syria JTA - Nov 28 3:57 PM
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (JTA) Virtually everyone in Washington agrees that Syria is a weak state. But differences arise over whether its peace feelers to Israel and the West are a genuine white flag or just a feint to entrap its stronger enemies.Syria to buy Iranian gas AME Info - Nov 28 7:50 PM
Syria wants to buy 2-3 million cubic metres of gas from Iran annually, a senior ministry official told Reuters. Syria could receive the gas through a planned pipeline in Turkey, according to an official from Botas, which runs Turkey's gas pipelines.How do you reconcile Baker and Hadley on Syria? - Haaretz - Israel News Haaretz Daily - Nov 28 5:45 PM
How do you reconcile Baker and Hadley on Syria? Try to reconcile the reported approach of the Baker-Hamilton committee with the signals you get from the administration and you end up with an interesting question: How far will the committee go as it recommends a more engaging policy toward Damascus - when it is quite clear that the administration is less than enthusiastic about such policy?Iraq Is Bush's Boomerang War CBS News - Nov 30 9:08 AM
The White House is desperately twisting itself into knots to find a way out of an Iraq debacle sure to top the political agenda in the '08 presidential election, and now President Bush is forced to beg Syria and Iran for help, The Nation says.Syria confirms suicide bombing at Syria-Lebanon border People's Daily - Nov 28 3:38 PM
A Syrian Interior Ministry official confirmed that a suicide bombing occurred on Tuesday afternoon in southwest Syria on a main border crossing leading to Lebanon, the state television reported.Militant Blows Himself Up at Lebanon-Syria Border Voice of America - Nov 30 7:16 AM
Syrian officials say an Islamic militant blew himself up after being stopped at a crossing on the Lebanese border. They say the man, Omar Hamra, was the leader of the Islamic militant group al-Tawhid Wal Jihad.Annan:Iran,Syria Should Be Part Of Answer To Iraq Conflict Nasdaq - Nov 28 10:53 AM
UNITED NATIONS (AP)--U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Iran and Syria should work with the U.S. and the international community to resolve the Iraq conflict.Suicide bomber explodes himself at Syria-Lebanon border after fake identity discovered People's Daily - Nov 28 4:24 PM
A suicide bomber exploded himself Tuesday afternoon after his attempt to pass the customs using forged papers was thwarted by security officials in southwest Syria on a main border crossing leading to Lebanon.UN chief calls for participation of Syria, Iran in solving Iraqi issue People's Daily - Nov 28 4:24 PM
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that he believes Syria and Iran should become a part of solution to the issue of Iraq.Bush's Mideast visit sparks protests AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 29 5:01 PM
President Bush's visit here Wednesday aimed at stemming the chaos in Iraq sparked small but angry protests in Jordan and defiance from Iran and Syria at a time when anti-American feeling in the Mideast is widespread.Iraq panel to call for US to trade troops for diplomacy Independent - Nov 30 4:32 PM
A high-level bipartisan panel will recommend a "gradual but meaningful" pull-back of US combat forces in Iraq, and call for a stepped-up diplomatic effort by Washington, including direct contacts with Iraq's neighbours Iran and Syria, to try and restore stability to the country.Islamic Militant Blows Himself Up At Syria-Lebanon Border Nasdaq - Nov 28 8:52 AM
(RTTNews) - A Syrian Islamic militant blew himself up at the Syria-Lebanon border on Tuesday after trying to escape from Syrian security forces, said the Syrian government.Iraq Study Report to Call for US Pullback Arab News - Nov 30 4:13 PM
WASHINGTON, 1 December 2006 A bipartisan commission will unveil long-awaited recommendations for a new US policy in Iraq next week that a published report said would call for a gradual pullback of US troops there without a timetable and direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria.U.S. caught in middle of Iran-Syria-Lebanon triangle The Olympian - Nov 28 4:10 AM
PHILADELPHIA - Syria and Iran know how badly the United States wants their cooperation to stabilize Iraq, and they're setting a high price. Part of that price was made brazenly clear in Beirut a week ago - where a key anti-Syrian cabinet minister, Pierre Gemayel, was shot dead in broad daylight.Syria forecasts strong economic growth for 5 years Middle East Times - Nov 28 6:21 AM
DAMASCUS -- Syria forecasts strong economic growth of 5 percent this year, with higher figures for the following year and 7 percent in 2010 as it heads toward a market-based economy, according to the deputy minister for economic affairs.Incoming US defense chief favors international meet on Iraq AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 29 10:53 AM
Robert Gates, nominated to be the new US secretary of defense, supports an international conference on Iraq that would include Syria and Iran, according to a statement he submitted to Congress and reported in newspapers.Iraq panel calls for direct talks with Syria, Iran - Al Jazeera - Nov 28 7:42 AM
The Iraq Study Group, which is reviewing the U.S. s policies in the war-torn country, calls for an aggressive regional diplomatic initiative that includes direct talks with Iran and Syria , according to a draft of the panel s report published on The New York Times.US encouraged by Syria-UN talks Tiscali - Nov 29 6:54 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to follow through as soon as possible on what it calls "encouraging" promises to a U.N. envoy to fully withdraw Syrian troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon.1. Asian Football Confederation The New Zealand Herald - Nov 30 8:11 AM
The first East Asian side to win the AFC Champions league. They beat Syria's Al Karama 3-2 over two legs in early November. Based in Jeonju and founded in 1993, they haven't seriously challenged for the Korean League title, often finishing mid-table and were 11th this season.U.S. to Israel: No Point in Talking to Syria Israel National News - Nov 28 12:30 PM
(IsraelNN.com) United States National Security Advisor Steven Hadley said Tuesday that it makes no sense for Israel to consider negotiations with Syria, the first such public statement made by an American official.Group suggests pullout of US troops from Iraq Deccan Herald - Nov 30 2:34 PM
The bi-partisan Iraq Study Group entrusted with examining US options in Iraq will recommend pulling American troops back from the front line and a new diplomatic initiative involving talks between Washington and each of Iran and Syria.MIDDLE EAST: Weekly update of human rights violations in the region (23 Nov – 29 Nov 2006) AlertNet - Nov 30 8:10 AM
Source: IRIN Demonstration against security forces violence in Egyptian university, activists tried in Syria for speaking out, Israel under pressure from NGOs to provide better prisoner health care and journalists harassed and locked up in Yemen. Bush's Iraq mission excludes Syria, Iran UPI - Nov 28 5:52 AM
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- The Bush administration is ignoring internal advice to include Iran and Syria in its bid to stem sectarian fighting in Iraq, the New York Times reports.Syria, Lebanon: FM Rejects U.S., French Accusations India Daily - Nov 28 8:25 AM
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem rejected U.S. and French accusations of Syria's involvement in assassinating Lebanese politicians and accused the United States and France on the sidelines of the Nov. 28 Euro-Mediterranean summit in Tampere, Finland, of interfering in Lebanese affairs.Bush firm on Iran, Syria talks Los Angeles Times - Nov 29 12:14 AM
The president appears unlikely to agree to direct talks with Iraq's neighbors, which the Iraq Study Group is expected to recommend.Bush, study group apparently at odds Baltimore Sun - Nov 30 5:26 AM
Graceful exit 'has no realism to it at all,' president says A bipartisan commission next week will unveil long-awaited recommendations for a new U.S. policy in Iraq that a published report said would call for a gradual pullback of U.S. troops there -- without a timetable -- and direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria. Talks With Syria Are Not Enough, Says Policy Expert Crosswalk.com - Nov 27 9:29 PM
(CNSNews.com) - The Iraq Study Group, the bilateral panel charged with investigating policy options toward Iraq, is believed to favor talks with Syria - as well as with Iran - but some experts say the Syrian government may provide little if any help.Iraq Recommendations: Diplomacy with Iran, Syria NPR - Nov 27 2:04 PM
A draft of the report from the Iraq Study Group recommends direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria, according to officials who've seen the document. New York Times reporter David Sanger says the Bush administration will want to show Iran and Syria how their involvement will be in their best interest.Panel to urge troops pullback in Iraq AP via Yahoo! News - 21 minutes ago
A bipartisan commission on U.S. options in Iraq will recommend a gradual reduction of American forces in Iraq and a significant diplomatic shift that enlists U.S. adversaries to stabilize the increasingly chaotic country, officials familiar with the panel's deliberations said Thursday.Are Hezbollah's Demands Justified? Blogcritics.org - Nov 30 10:20 AM
Leaders of Lebanon's pro-Western governing coalition lashed out at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese allies -- President Emile Lahoud and Shiite militant group Hezbollah. They blamed Syria for the assassination of Pierre Gemayel. The language of their speeches was politically incorrect. It angered the Shiites when they watched on television insults hurled at their faith and Claude Salhani: U.S. Dominance of Mideast Ends The Palestine Chronicle - Nov 30 10:59 AM
What seems to be emerging in the Middle East today is a new axis of power with Syria as its main cog and incorporating Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.Hezbollah Calls for Rally to Grip Beirut New York Times - 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
Hezbollah?s leader called for a peaceful sit-in to topple the Lebanese government for failing to ?achieve anything significant.?Islamic militant blows himself up at Syria-Lebanon border AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 10:11 AM
An Islamic militant reportedly blew himself up, wounding two soldiers, at the main Syrian border crossing into Lebanon following a firefight.Pope prays with cleric at Turkey mosque AP via Yahoo! News - 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Pope Benedict XVI joined an Islamic cleric in prayers under the towering dome of Istanbul's most famous mosque Thursday in a powerful gesture seeking to transform his image among Muslims from adversary to peacemaker.U.S. Considers Ending Outreach to Insurgents Washington Post - 1 hour, 50 minutes ago
The Bush administration is deliberating whether to abandon U.S. reconciliation efforts with Sunni insurgents and instead give priority to Shiites and Kurds, who won elections and now dominate the government, according to U.S. officials.Iraq panel to recommend U.S. shift from combat role Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 5:36 PM
The Iraq Study Group will recommend the U.S. military shift away from combat and toward more of a support role in Iraq over the next year or so, a source familiar with the panel's recommendations said.The Only Consensus on Iraq: Nobody?s Leaving Right Now New York Times - 2 hours, 27 minutes ago
Despite the Democrats? victory, the idea of a rapid American troop withdrawal is fast receding as a viable option.Lebanese prime minister: There will be no coup CNN.com - Nov 30 5:31 PM
Attempting to blunt the impact of a rally planned by Hezbollah for Friday, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora vowed Thursday that there will be no coup in Lebanon.Burns denounces Syria's terrorist activities NDTV - Nov 27 8:48 PM
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Washington's problem with Syria is not a lack of communication between the two governments, but Syria's habit of dabbling in terrorist activities throughout the Middle East.Don't start planning 'graceful exit,' Bush says USA Today - 2 hours, 47 minutes ago
The White House reacted coolly Thursday to the suggestion of early withdrawal of troops from Iraq even as the Iraqi prime minister said his country's forces could take over security responsibility by next June.Hezbollah calls protests in Lebanon AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 3:32 PM
Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies launched a long-threatened campaign to force Lebanon's U.S.-backed government from office, calling for mass demonstrations Friday followed by a wave of open-ended protests.Hezbollah-led opposition set to protest in Beirut Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 3:38 PM
Lebanon's pro-Syrian Hezbollah-led opposition is set to protest in central Beirut on Friday aiming to bring down the U.S.-backed government, which has vowed it will not yield to the pressure.Surrender Group? Investor's Business Daily via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 4:00 PM
Iraq: A panel notable for its total absence of military expertise is set to recommend "redeploying" U.S. forces in Iraq. Someone ought to remind James Baker that George W. Bush is commander in chief and he isn't.Iraq Panel to Follow Unanimous Report With U.S. Tour Bloomberg via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 1:30 PM
Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The independent commission studying U.S. policy in Iraq has reached unanimous agreement on a report to be released next week and plans to tour the country promoting its conclusions, according to a person familiar with its deliberations.Man blows self up at Syria-Lebanon border AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 7:49 AM
A Syrian leader of an Islamic militant group blew himself up at a border post with Lebanon after a gunbattle with Syrian security forces Tuesday, the Syrian government said. Two security forces were wounded.Iraq Panel to Urge Pullout Of Combat Troops by '08 Washington Post - Nov 30 5:47 PM
The bipartisan Iraq Study Group plans to recommend withdrawing nearly all U.S. combat units from Iraq by early 2008 while leaving behind troops to train, advise and support the Iraqis, setting the first goal for a major drawdown of U.S. forces, sources familiar with the proposal said yesterday. Militant blows himself up at Syria-Lebanon border AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 8:13 AM
An Islamic militant has blown himself up, wounding two military officers, at the main Lebanese-Syrian border crossing following a firefight, a news agency has said.Panel to urge U.S. talks with Syria, Iran: report Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 26 10:11 PM
A draft report prepared for an influential panel considering U.S. alternatives for Iraq urges direct talks with Iran and Syria, but sets no schedule for troop withdrawal, The New York Times reported on Monday.Iraq Recommendations: Diplomacy with Iran, Syria NPR - Nov 27 1:14 PM
Day to Day , November 27, 2006 · A draft of the report from the Iraq Study Group recommends direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria, according to officials who've seen the document.Democrats like Iraq commission's report AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 5:01 PM
Democrats in Congress, encouraged that a special commission will recommend a major reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq, say its report next week will serve as a jumping-off point for pressing their case that a withdrawal should begin in 2007.French presidential candidate in Beirut AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 5:06 PM
Segolene Royal took her campaign to become France's first female president into the tumultuous Lebanese capital Thursday, launching a Middle East trip seen as a test of her foreign policy savvy.Syria accuses Paris, Washington of interference over Lebanon AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 6:27 AM
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has accused the US and France of interference over Lebanon and rejected similar accusations levelled by Paris on Damascus.President urged to include Iran, Syria in talks Denver Post - Nov 27 11:40 PM
As President Bush and his top diplomats try to halt the downward spiral in Iraq and Lebanon, they seem intent on their strategy of talking only to Arab friends, despite increasing calls inside and outside the administration for them to reach out to Iran and Syria as well.Grenade attack at Syria-Lebanon border AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 6:49 AM
An assailant carried out a gun and grenade attack on the Syrian side of a crossing on the Lebanese border on Tuesday, Lebanese television stations reported.Blast heard on Lebanon-Syria border crossing AlertNet - Nov 28 6:41 AM
Source: Reuters BEIRUT, Nov 28 (Reuters) - An explosion was heard at the main crossing point between Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, a Lebanese security source said. The source said there were no further details from ... Syrian gunman killed on Lebanon-Syria border Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 28 6:57 AM
A Syrian gunman was killed on Tuesday when his own grenade exploded during a clash with Syrian police on the crossing point into Lebanon, a Lebanese security source said.Iraq report to be published as book AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 3:22 PM
An authorized edition of the much-anticipated "Iraq Study Group Report" will be published by Random House Inc. on Wednesday, the same day President Bush and congressional leaders are to receive the bipartisan committee's recommendations.Pope visits Istanbul's Blue Mosque AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 1:13 PM
When a 17th-century Ottoman sultan ordered architect Mehmet Aga to build a mosque to rival a majestic former Byzantine church, the result was an imposing structure of cascading domes and an interior decorated with elaborate blue tiles.Bush sees no 'graceful exit' from Iraq AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 3:38 PM
US President George W. Bush, set to rule in weeks on a possible course change in Iraq, warned against expecting him to lay out plans for "a graceful exit" from the war-torn country.Thousands of refugees fleeing violence in Iraq Long Beach Press-Telegram - Nov 29 9:28 PM
Jordan, Syria top destinations for the displaced. DAMASCUS, Syria - The Syrian capital is bustling with Iraqi refugees who fled the increasingly brutal violence in their homeland, and thousands more are arriving every day.Lebanon opposition calls mass protests for Friday AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 2:08 PM
The Lebanese opposition, led by the pro-Syrian militant group Hezbollah, called for mass protests to back demands for a change of the Western-backed cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.Bush holds his course Asia Times - Nov 29 11:51 PM
WASHINGTON - Despite a growing and virtually universal consensus both in the US and abroad that the United States must engage Syria and Iran if it hopes to stabilize Iraq, US President George W Bush appears determined to ignore Baghdad's two key neighbors as long as possible.Panel to urge US talks with Syria, Iran: Times Gulf Times - Nov 28 2:22 AM
WASHINGTON: A draft report prepared for an influential panel considering US alternatives for Iraq urges direct talks with Iran and Syria, but sets no schedule for troop withdrawal, the New York Times reported yesterday.Iraqi forces can take over by June 2007, says PM Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 3:16 PM
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Thursday his government's forces would be able to take over security command from U.S. troops by June 2007 -- a move which could allow the United States to start withdrawing.Iraq Study Group Weighs Overture to Iran and Syria New York Times - Nov 26 7:33 PM
A draft report on strategies for Iraq urges an aggressive regional diplomatic initiative that includes direct talks with Iran and Syria.Panel to urge US talks with Syria, Iran IranMania.com - Nov 27 11:21 PM
LONDON, November 28 (IranMania) - A draft report prepared for an influential panel considering US alternatives for Iraq urges direct talks with Iran and Syria, but sets no schedule for troop withdrawal, The New York Times reported.Pope visits Istanbul's Blue Mosque CNN.com - Nov 30 12:31 PM
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI stood in silent meditation in one of Turkey's most famous mosques Thursday in a dramatic gesture of outreach to Muslims after outrage from the pontiff's remarks linking violence and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.Vintage to publish Iraq report next week AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 1:20 PM
An authorized edition of the much-anticipated "Iraq Study Group Report" will be published next Wednesday by Random House, Inc., the same day President Bush and congressional leaders are to receive the bipartisan committee's recommendations.Lebanon PM vows to fight on eve of Hezbollah-led protests AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 11:52 AM
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora vowed that his government will fight attempts to establish any foreign tutelage on the country, on the eve of mass demonstrations called by the opposition led by the pro-Syrian Hezbollah.Bush says Iraq reviews will not tie his hands AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 2:04 PM
US President George W. Bush warned against expecting that high-profile reviews of his Iraq war-fighting strategy would change his approach or lead to a "graceful exit" of US forces.Bush Says U.S. to Stay in Iraq as Long as Needed Bloomberg via Yahoo! News - Nov 30 2:02 PM
Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said he and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki agreed to speed the training of Iraqi security forces and that the U.S. will stay in Iraq as long as needed, calling the idea of a ``graceful'' exit unrealistic.