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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| US warship positioned off Lebanon | US warship positioned off Lebanon |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The United States has ordered a warship into position off the coast of Lebanon. | The United States has ordered a warship into position off the coast of Lebanon. |
| The USS Cole was sent there amid growing concern about the political impasse in the country, which has not had a president for four months. | |
| The Western-backed governing coalition and the Syrian and Iranian-backed opposition are at loggerheads. | |
| A US official quoted by news agencies said the destroyer's deployment off the coast was designed as a "show of support... for regional stability". | |
| The official told Reuters news agency that the US was concerned about the political deadlock in Lebanon, which Washington blames on Syrian interference. | |
| Lebanon's politicians have repeatedly failed to agree on a president amid months of wrangling between pro-and anti-Syrian factions. | |
| Clashes between supporters of the rival factions have further raised tensions and led several countries to advise their citizens against travelling to Lebanon. | |
| Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned earlier this month that the country was "on the verge of civil war." | |
| "The United States believes a show of support is important for regional stability. We are very concerned about the situation in Lebanon. It has dragged on very long," said the unnamed US official. |