BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq will close its borders with Syria and Iran for 72 hours as part of the drive to secure and pacify Baghdad, the Iraqi commander of the crackdown said Tuesday, hours after a suicide bombing in a mainly Shiite neighborhood killed at least 15 people.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday the situation in Lebanon was "explosive" while Syria's president says the deployment of international troops along the Syria-Lebanon border would be a "hostile" act.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Israeli airstrikes pounded south Beirut and border crossings to Syria, killing at least 14 people across Lebanon as ground fighting picked up intensity in the south.

April 26, 2005

MASNAA, Lebanon - Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon ended Tuesday when Syrian soldiers flashing victory signs crossed back over the border, completing a withdrawal brought about by international pressure and massive Lebanese street protests.

March 15, 2005

March 14, 2005

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Mourners holding banners saying "Syria Out!" crowded around the flag-draped coffin of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and his family warned the pro-Damascus government to stay away Wednesday as hundreds of thousands of people turned his funeral into a spontaneous rally against Syria.

SUKKARIYEH, Syria - A cross-border raid by U.S. special forces killed the al-Qaida-linked head of a Syrian network that smuggled fighters, weapons and cash into Iraq, an American counterterrorism official said Monday.

JERUSALEM - Israel and Syria on Wednesday said they were holding indirect peace talks through Turkish mediators - the first official confirmation of contacts between the longtime enemies.

NEW YORK - Katie Couric plans to leave Wednesday for an ambitious reporting trip to Iraq and Syria - the CBS anchor's first time in the war zone - in anticipation of a crucial military report on progress of the American effort.

The Bush administration has reversed a longstanding policy and will sit down with representatives of Iran and Syria to discuss the future of Iraq.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Mideast diplomats were pressing Syria to stop backing Hezbollah as the guerrillas fired more deadly rockets onto Israel's third-largest city Sunday. Israel faced tougher-than-expected ground battles and bombarded targets in southern Lebanon, hitting a convoy of refugees.

May 13, 2005