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Monday, June 4, 2007

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WASHINGTON -- President Bush spoke from Air Force One Monday with Saad Hariri, leader of the majority party in Lebanon's parliament, partly about the Lebanese Army's showdown with Palestinian militants.

National security adviser Stephen Hadley, speaking to reporters as Bush was traveling to Prague, said that Hariri requested the conversation. Hadley said he expressed his appreciation for U.S. support in arranging an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"He also expressed appreciation for the support the United States is providing to the Lebanese armed forces as they deal with the security challenge associated with the refugee camp where they are engaged with dealing with extremist forces around that camp," Hadley said

The United States and allied Arab countries have airlifted ammunition and supplies to help the Lebanese army in its showdown with the Fatah Islam group in a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli in northern Lebanon. Islamic militants elsewhere have voiced support for Fatah Islam, which has threatened to take the battle outside northern Lebanon.

Hadley did not directly answer a question as to whether Hariri had asked for any other help during the phone call.

"There is ongoing cooperation between the United States and the Lebanese Armed Forces to identify additional requirements that they need," Hadley said. "Some of those have already been provided; some will be provided in the future."

"There are some additional items that are already under consideration that we are talking about with the Lebanese forces," the senior-level Bush adviser said.

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Hadley gave no specifics but said the discussions were being handled by the Defense Department.

He did not characterize Bush's side of the conversation. The call was shortly after Bush took off for Europe, where he will attend a summit meeting of the major industrialized countries later this week in Germany.

© 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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