In other news from the Middle East, the Lebanese newspaper Al Safir has revealed the U.S. wants to expand its ties to the Lebanese military by building a string of military bases inside Lebanon. According to the report, the U.S. wants to build three military bases, use two Lebanese naval bases near Tripoli and build three new radar stations. A senior Pentagon official admitted last week the U.S. wants to develop what he called a strategic partnership with the Lebanese army. Vice President Dick Cheney addressed the situation in Lebanon on Sunday.

Dick Cheney: “Through bribery and intimidation, Syria and its agents are attempting to prevent the democratic majority in Lebanon from electing a truly independent president. Lebanon has the right to conduct the upcoming elections free of any foreign interference. The United States will work with free Lebanon’s other friends and allies to preserve Lebanon’s hard-won independence and to defeat the forces of extremism and terror that threaten not only that region, but U.S. countries across the wider region.”