Hannah Allam in McClatchy's, here
"....Bush's tough talk on Iran drew only scattered applause. While many Arab states are alarmed at Iran's sway in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, leaders have said they're even more fearful of a preemptive U.S. strike against Tehran that almost certainly would lead to an Iranian retaliation with the potential to ripple across the Middle East
Bush was supposed to have met with Lebanon's embattled Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, who was a no-show at the conference. The U.S.-backed premier gave no reason for the cancellation, but his weakened government is involved in crisis talks in Qatar with opposition figures
In his speech, Bush lumped the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah and the Palestinian militants of Hamas — both of which receive Iranian support — under the same "terrorist" label as the al Qaida network. Hezbollah is a firmly entrenched part of the Lebanese establishment, with political and charitable arms. Palestinians voted Hamas leaders into office in elections that were praised as some of the most transparent in the Middle East......"
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