Syria and Lebanon Relations on Yahoo! News Photos

Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdelnour attends the closing ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:12:33 GMT

(Reuters) - Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdelnour attends the closing ceremony of the 17th Damascus International Film Festival November 7, 2009. REUTERS/Khaled al-Hariri (SYRIA ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY)

Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdelnour poses as she attends ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:07:05 GMT

(Reuters) - Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdelnour poses as she attends the closing ceremony of the 17th Damascus International Film Festival November 7, 2009. REUTERS/Khaled al-Hariri (SYRIA ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY)

Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdelnour poses as she attends ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:07:02 GMT

Lebanese actress and singer Cyrine Abdelnour poses as she attends ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:05:59 GMT

A handout picture released by the Hezbollah media office shows ...

(Reuters) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:43:54 GMT

(Reuters) - A handout picture released by the Hezbollah media office shows Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah (R) meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (3rd R), MP Michel Aoun (C), leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Suleiman Franjieh (2nd R), Leader of Marada movement, Minister of Communications Jubran Basil (2nd L), MP Ali Hassan Khalil (3rd L) and Hezbollah official Hussein al-Khalil (L) in Beirut November 6, 2009. Lebanon's opposition, including Iranian-backed Hezbollah, agreed on Friday to join a national unity government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, a senior opposition source said. Picture taken November 6, 2009. REUTERS/Handout

A general view of the Lebanese parliament. Lebanese prime minister-designate ...

(AFP/File) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:07:00 GMT

(AFP/File) - A general view of the Lebanese parliament. Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri, is preparing to announce a new government after granting concessions to his rivals in the Hezbollah-led opposition on key cabinet posts.(AFP/File)

Hezbollah's political bureau chief Ibrahim Amin al-Sayed ...

(AFP) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:07:00 GMT

(AFP) - Hezbollah's political bureau chief Ibrahim Amin al-Sayed in Damascus. Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri is preparing to announce a new government after granting concessions to his rivals in the Hezbollah-led opposition on key cabinet posts.(AFP/Louai Beshara)

Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri, seen here, is ...

(AFP) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:07:00 GMT

(AFP) - Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri, seen here, is preparing to announce a new government after granting concessions to his rivals in the Hezbollah-led opposition on key cabinet posts.(AFP/Joseph Barrak)

File picture shows a general view of the Lebanese parliament. ...

(AFP/File) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:43:45 GMT

(AFP/File) - File picture shows a general view of the Lebanese parliament. Lebanon's opposition has agreed to a proposed government line-up, Hezbollah said on Saturday, paving the way to the end of five months of tortuous negotiations following a June general election.(AFP/File)

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (C) and Ibrahim al-Amin, member ...

(Reuters) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:20:12 GMT

(Reuters) - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (C) and Ibrahim al-Amin, member of the political bureau of the Lebanese Hezbollah party (L), attend a rally to mark the 22nd anniversary of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, at a Palestine refugee camp near Damascus November 6, 2009. REUTERS/Khaled al Hariri (SYRIA ANNIVERSARY POLITICS)

Detail of the memorial stone for Jewish girl Anne Frank, author ...

(DDP/AFP/File) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:08:30 GMT

(DDP/AFP/File) - Detail of the memorial stone for Jewish girl Anne Frank, author of "The Diary of a Young Girl", and her sister Margot, 2007. Frank's diary has been censored out of a school textbook in Lebanon following a campaign by the militant group Hezbollah which claimed the classic work promotes Zionism.(DDP/AFP/File/Nigel Treblin)

Anne Frank's diary has been censored out of a school textbook ...

(AFP/HO/File) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:08:30 GMT

(AFP/HO/File) - Anne Frank's diary has been censored out of a school textbook in Lebanon following a campaign by the militant group Hezbollah claiming the classic work promotes Zionism.(AFP/HO/File)

A Lebanese vendor sells his goods in Beirut in April 2009 under ...

(AFP/File) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:08:07 GMT

(AFP/File) - A Lebanese vendor sells his goods in Beirut in April 2009 under an electoral billboard for June 7, 2009 parliamentary elections. Lebanon has been without a government since the elections that saw a Western- and Saudi-backed coalition clinch victory over an alliance of parties headed by the militant group Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran.(AFP/File/Joseph Barrak)

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman (rear-C) meeting with a delegation ...

(AFP/File) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:11:34 GMT

(AFP/File) - Lebanese President Michel Sleiman (rear-C) meeting with a delegation from the Hezbollah parliamentary block at the Baabda presidential palace, east of Beirut, September 2009. Hezbollah's backers Iran and Syria are hindering the formation of a cabinet in Lebanon, which has been without government since a general vote in June, Christian leader Samir Geagea said.(AFP/File)

Egyptian security personnel escort suspects accused of plotting ...

(AFP/File) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:15:10 GMT

(AFP/File) - Egyptian security personnel escort suspects accused of plotting attacks in the Suez Canal on behalf of Lebanon's Hezbollah group as they arrive to attend their trial at a security court in Cairo in August 2009. A Lebanese Hezbollah operative on trial in Egypt for allegedly plotting attacks in the country on Wednesday accused his interrogators of "brutal torture" that has left him deaf in one ear.(AFP/File/Khaled Desouki)

Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, inspects Croatian guard ...

(AP) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:16:08 GMT

(AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, inspects Croatian guard of honour during arrival ceremony at the Presidential palace in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. Assad is on official two-day visit to Croatia. ( AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and his host Croatian President ...

(AP) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:12:20 GMT

(AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and his host Croatian President Stipe Mesic arrive for talks at the Presidential palace in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. Assad is on official two-day visit to Croatia. ( AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and Croatian President ...

(AP) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:49:37 GMT

(AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and Croatian President Stipe Mesic, right, inspect the guard of honor during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential palace in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. Assad is on an official two-day visit to Croatia. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

REUTERS PICTURES OF THE DECADE. A Lebanese girl looks through ...

(Reuters) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:27:23 GMT

(Reuters) - REUTERS PICTURES OF THE DECADE. A Lebanese girl looks through the window of a bus carrying Shi'ite Muslim women to visit the grave of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut's Martyrs square March 20, 2005. In a show of unity between the country's Muslim communities, Lebanese Shi'ite Muslims and supporters of Hizbollah visited the grave of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Sunni Muslim who was killed by a bomb on February 14th. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj (LEBANON)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, a woman from Hezbollah ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:46:20 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, a woman from Hezbollah prepare bread bags to be distributed to the poor out of donated money during Ramadan, the holy month when devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, women from Hezbollah ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:44:29 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, women from Hezbollah prepare vegetable rations to be distributed to the poor out of donated money during Ramadan, the holy month when devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, women from Hezbollah ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:43:15 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, women from Hezbollah prepare vegetables to be distributed to the poor out of donated money during Ramadan, the holy month when devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, women from Hezbollah ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:42:17 GMT

In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a girl speaks on ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:36:24 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a girl speaks on a mobile in front of a boutique selling women's clothes at Mouawad street in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. Boutiques on the street have names like Ramona, La Verna and Pascale. Shop windows have mannequins in hijab, the generic name for an Islamic dress code for women, next to ones in tight jeans and strapless tops. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a picture of Hezbollah ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:31:44 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a picture of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is seen left, as women walk in front of a boutique selling men's clothes at Mouawad street in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a picture of Hezbollah ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:30:16 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a picture of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is seen right, as a woman leaves a clothes' shop at Mouawad street in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. The group has staunchly been anti-Western since its inception in the early 1980s, but there is enough in Dahiyah to suggest that the group's rhetoric is far from binding. Boutiques on the street have names like Ramona, La Verna and Pascale. Shop windows have mannequins in hijab, the generic name for an Islamic dress code for women, next to ones in tight jeans and strapless tops. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, laborers work at ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:30:04 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, laborers work at a construction site in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. But beyond the militant slogans, the stern faces of clerics staring down from billboards and the watchful eyes of Hezbollah's security agents, Dahiyah offers a unique glimpse into the woes and contradictions of today's Lebanon — sectarian divisions, economic discrepancies, potentially explosive social trends and foreign influences. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a woman tries on ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:29:54 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a woman tries on clothes in a boutique at Mouawad street in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. The group has staunchly been anti-Western since its inception in the early 1980s, but there is enough in Dahiyah to suggest that the group's rhetoric is far from binding. Boutiques on the street have names like Ramona, La Verna and Pascale. Shop windows have mannequins in hijab, the generic name for an Islamic dress code for women, next to ones in tight jeans and strapless tops. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a picture of Shiite ...

(AP) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:28:53 GMT

(AP) - In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, a picture of Shiite Muslim spiritual leader, Imam Moussa Sadr who disappeared on a trip to Libya in 1978, is seen attached center in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, Lebanon. There is no place in Lebanon that illustrates the narrative of Shiite empowerment more than Dahiyah, a densely populated district that has become synonymous with Hezbollah. But beyond the militant slogans, the stern faces of clerics staring down from billboards and the watchful eyes of Hezbollah's security agents, Dahiyah offers a unique glimpse into the woes and contradictions of today's Lebanon — sectarian divisions, economic discrepancies, potentially explosive social trends and foreign influences. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A member of the Palestinian security forces (R) gestures as ...

(Reuters) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:30:08 GMT

(Reuters) - A member of the Palestinian security forces (R) gestures as members of "Follow the Women" (FTW) organisation cycle past him in the West Bank city of Hebron October 18, 2009. FTW is an international women's peace organisation. Some 300 women from 30 countries took part in FTW's fifth bike ride, which winds through Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories and aims at promoting peace and empowering women in the region. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun (WEST BANK POLITICS SPORT CYCLING)

Members of "Follow the Women" (FTW) organisation cycle ...

(Reuters) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:25:41 GMT

(Reuters) - Members of "Follow the Women" (FTW) organisation cycle in the West Bank city of Hebron October 18, 2009. FTW is an international women's peace organisation. Some 300 women from 30 countries took part in FTW's fifth bike ride, which winds through Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories and aims at promoting peace and empowering women in the region. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun (WEST BANK POLITICS SPORT CYCLING)

Members of "Follow the Women" (FTW) organisation cycle ...

(Reuters) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:24:36 GMT

(Reuters) - Members of "Follow the Women" (FTW) organisation cycle past a member of the Palestinian security forces in the West Bank city of Hebron October 18, 2009. FTW is an international women's peace organisation. Some 300 women from 30 countries took part in FTW's fifth bike ride, which winds through Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories and aims at promoting peace and empowering women in the region. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun (WEST BANK POLITICS SPORT CYCLING)

A U.N peacekeeper from Italy sits in a United Nations Interim ...

(Reuters) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:26:00 GMT

A man on a scooter rides past a U.N peacekeeper from Italy sitting ...

(Reuters) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:28:37 GMT

(Reuters) - A man on a scooter rides past a U.N peacekeeper from Italy sitting atop a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle as he secures the area in front of a Hezbollah member's house in Tayr Filsi village, southern Lebanon October 13, 2009. The Lebanese army said on Tuesday one person was wounded after a shell exploded in a home in Tayr Filsi on Monday.. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON POLITICS CONFLICT)

U.N. peacekeepers from Italy secure the area near a Hezbollah ...

(Reuters) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:25:22 GMT

(Reuters) - U.N. peacekeepers from Italy secure the area near a Hezbollah member's house at Tayr Filsi village, southern Lebanon October 13, 2009. The Lebanese army said on Tuesday one person was wounded after a shell exploded in a home in Tayr Filsi on Monday. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON POLITICS)

A U.N peacekeeper from Italy sits in a United Nations Interim ...

(Reuters) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:39:15 GMT

(Reuters) - A U.N peacekeeper from Italy sits in a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle as he secures the area in front of a Hezbollah member's house at Tayr Filsi village, southern Lebanon, October 13, 2009. The Lebanese army said on Tuesday one person was wounded after a shell exploded in a home in Tayr Filsi on Monday. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON MILITARY CONFLICT)

A Lebanese soldier forbids journalists from entering the vicinity ...

(Reuters) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:38:11 GMT

(Reuters) - A Lebanese soldier forbids journalists from entering the vicinity in front of a Hezbollah member's house as he secures the area, in Tayr Filsi village, southern Lebanon. The Lebanese army said on Tuesday one person was wounded after a shell exploded in a home in Tayr Filsi on Monday. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON MILITARY CONFLICT)

A U.N peacekeeper from Italy stands next to an United Nations ...

(Reuters) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:23:22 GMT

(Reuters) - A U.N peacekeeper from Italy stands next to an United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle as he secures the area in front of a Hezbollah member's house at Tayr Filsi village, southern Lebanon, October 13, 2009. The Lebanese army said on Tuesday one person was wounded after a shell exploded in a home in Tayr Filsi on Monday. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON MILITARY CONFLICT)

Italian soldiers from UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in ...

(AFP) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:13:13 GMT

(AFP) - Italian soldiers from UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) check the area where a member of the militant group Hezbollah was seriously wounded in southern Lebanon when a rocket he found near his home and was trying to defuse exploded.(AFP/Mahmoud Zayyat)

Syrians smoke water pipes at a cafe in downtown Damascus, Syria ...

(AP) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:18:26 GMT

(AP) - Syrians smoke water pipes at a cafe in downtown Damascus, Syria on Monday, October 12, 2009. Syrian President Bashar Assad issued late Sunday a decree banning smoking and selling and providing tobacco products at certain public utilities. The decree also prevents smoking during meetings, conferences, lectures, training activities and official symposiums. The decree also prevents the promotion and advertising of tobacco products and smoking and imposes fines for violating the decree, which will be officially applied after six months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

Syrians smoke water pipes at a caf� in downtown Damascus, Syria ...

(AP) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:18:04 GMT

(AP) - Syrians smoke water pipes at a caf� in downtown Damascus, Syria on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. Syrian President Bashar Assad issued late Sunday a decree banning smoking and selling and providing tobacco products at certain public utilities. The decree also prevents smoking during meetings, conferences, lectures, training activities and official symposiums. The decree also prevents the promotion and advertising of tobacco products and smoking and imposes fines for violating the decree, which will be officially applied after six months. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

Syrians smoke water pipes at a caf� in downtown Damascus, Syria ...

(AP) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:17:51 GMT

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, pictured in August ...

(AFP/File) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:57:32 GMT

(AFP/File) - Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, pictured in August 2009, on Monday began a visit to the United Arab Emirates, which has been accused of expelling Lebanese Shiites thought to have links to Hezbollah.(AFP/File/Ramzi Haidar)

Hassan Nasrallah, head of Lebanon's opposition movement ...

(AFP/File) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:14:33 GMT

(AFP/File) - Hassan Nasrallah, head of Lebanon's opposition movement Hezbollah, and Walid Jumblatt from the Western-backed majority, seen here together during a meeting in June, have urged the formation of a unity government "as soon as possible."(AFP/File)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (right) and Saudi King Abdullah ...

(AFP/SANA) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:34:53 GMT

(AFP/SANA) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (right) and Saudi King Abdullah shake hands at al-Shaab palace in Damascus. Lebanese politicians from across the spectrum welcomed the rapprochement between Damascus and Riyadh but warned it was insufficient to guarantee the formation of a government in Lebanon.(AFP/SANA)

Lebanese Druze Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid ...

(AFP/File) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:34:53 GMT

(AFP/File) - Lebanese Druze Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt addresses the crowd at rally in downtown Beirut, February 2009. Lebanese politicians from across the spectrum welcomed the rapprochement between Damascus and Riyadh but warned it was insufficient to guarantee the formation of a government in Lebanon.(AFP/File/Ramzi Haidar)

Hezbollah fighters march during a rally commemorating the militant ...

(AFP/File) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:34:53 GMT

(AFP/File) - Hezbollah fighters march during a rally commemorating the militant group's Martyrs Day in Beirut, 2008. Lebanese politicians from across the spectrum welcomed the rapprochement between Damascus and Riyadh but warned it was insufficient to guarantee the formation of a government in Lebanon.(AFP/File/Ramzi Haidar)

Syrian's and tourist walk at the popular old al-Hamidiyah souk, ...

(AP) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:50:24 GMT

(AP) - Syrian's and tourist walk at the popular old al-Hamidiyah souk, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday Oct. 8, 2009. Saudi Arabia's king on Wednesday made his first visit to Syria since becoming monarch, the strongest indication yet of thawing relations between the two rival nations following years of tension. King Abdullah's visit is also the first by a Saudi ruler since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a close Saudi ally. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Two Syrian women, look at books as they stand next to a flag ...

(AP) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:49:25 GMT

(AP) - Two Syrian women, look at books as they stand next to a flag of Saudi Arabia which is sometimes used in the Muslim countries for decoration on religious occasions, at the popular old al-Hamidiyah souk, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday Oct. 8, 2009. Saudi Arabia's king on Wednesday made his first visit to Syria since becoming monarch, the strongest indication yet of thawing relations between the two rival nations following years of tension. King Abdullah's visit is also the first by a Saudi ruler since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a close Saudi ally. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Syria announced it will withdraw some, but not all, troops from ...

(News) — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 19:27:44 GMT

(News) - Syria announced it will withdraw some, but not all, troops from Lebanon, in accordance with a 1989 agreement. (Christian Science Monitor)