For Syria, a nation wracked by nearly three decades of political turbulence following its independence from France, Hafez Assad and his son Bashar represent a dramatic change.

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The relationship between Syria and the United States, a relationship marred by more than four decades of mutual distrust, deteriorated sharply following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited with Lebanese officials in Beirut Monday. Experts analyze the purpose of her trip and the role of U.S diplomacy in the Middle East.

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Israeli troops attacked parts of Gaza in response to the Palestinian abduction of an Israeli soldier. After destroying three Palestinian bridges, forces crossed into Gaza for the first time since the Israeli withdrawal 10 months ago.

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Officials in Damascus and the U.N. continued to react to the explosive allegations made by the former Syrian vice president in which he said Syrian President Bashar Assad threatened Rafik Hariri several months before Hariri was assassinated.

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Syrian President Bashar Assad pledged Thursday to cooperate with a U.N. investigation into the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri but said he would not place his country's national interests at risk in doing so.

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A meeting of the U.N. Security Council over whether to impose sanctions on officials implicated in a recent investigation into the death of former Rafik Hariri is adding to mounting pressure on Bashar Assad to cooperate with investigators.

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