The United States Navy has positioned two warships off Lebanon's Mediterranean coast and is moving the USS Cole destroyer to the Gulf. One of the two warships is an Aegis-guided missile destroyer.
The Pentagon explained that the show of strength is "a sign of our commitment to stability in the region," the French news agency AFP reported. The American government has expressed growing concern over the political crisis in Lebanon, where Hizbullah and pro-Syrian allies have stymied the government for months.