Looks like the administration is doing a bit of hedging on the Syria issue.

Here's an update on the Syrian pullout of Lebannon. The administration had been talking very tough prior to today, but it now appears that their more than willing to take a more sensitive approach.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House vowed on Sunday not to stand by and let Syria take "half measures" in Lebanon, but said a timetable for its withdrawal could be "worked out" if President Bashar al-Assad commits to removing all Syrian troops and secret services.
Though President Bush has demandedSyria's complete and immediate withdrawal from Lebanon, White House counselorDan Bartlett said: "If he (Assad) was clear on living up to those demands, thosethings could be worked out when we say 'immediate."' U.S. officials and diplomats said some flexibility from Washington was needed to ensure a Syrian withdrawal does not create a power vacuum that results in instability.

Previously I've posted the the U.S. is so over-stretched as a result of Iraq that they aren't really in a position to do much about Iran and their nuclear ambitions. Similarly, it seems that they realize that they're not in a position to dictate to the Syrians. Also, this has developed recently:

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- The militant group Hezbollah, largely on the fence since anti-Syrian protests erupted in Lebanon last month, switched gears Sunday and threw its weight behind Syria and its allies - calling for massive rallies in Beirut to show loyalty to Damascus.
The move by Hezbollah's powerful and politically savvy leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, could prove crucial: The Iranian-founded, anti-Israeli Shiite Muslim group, which the United States calls a terrorist organization, has emerged as a key player during Lebanon's latest slide into political instability - capable of tilting the balance either in favor of the pro-Syrian government or the anti-Syrian opposition.

Suffice to say that it would be a bit premature to start claiming that Bush's decision to invade Iraq has actually paid off. But we all know that's not going to stop all the hacks from saying precisely that.

More reports of weapons looting following the invasion.

You may all remember the debacle at the Al Qaqaa weapns facility. Well, it seems that that was not an isolated incident:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Some 90 sites in Iraq that the United Nations had monitored for unconventional arms materials have been razed or looted since the U.S. intervention, according to a new U.N. inspection report. . . "The continuing examination of the imagery has revealed that approximately 90 of the total 353 sites analyzed containing material of relevance have been stripped and/or razed," Perricos said in the report.