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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/world/middleeast/13diplo.html
Lacking Leverage, U.S. Grasps for a Solution in Lebanon
(New York Times) Mark Landler and Robert F. Worth - As Lebanon's government collapsed on Wednesday after a walkout by Hizbullah ministers, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton both threw their support behind Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, as well as reaffirming the work of the international tribunal that is investigating the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. But critics say the administration's engagement in Lebanon has been episodic, in part because it is preoccupied with bigger problems in the region - not only Iran, but also the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the terrorist threat in Yemen. The U.S. also has little leverage over pivotal players in the drama, most notably the Islamist militant group Hizbullah.