U.S. Envoy Murphy Sees Syrian Official
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DAMASCUS, Syria — U.S. special envoy Richard W. Murphy met Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shareh on Wednesday in what diplomats said was an attempt to agree on a candidate who could become Lebanon’s next president.
The diplomats said Murphy’s visit showed increased U.S. desire to cooperate with Syria in ensuring the smooth election of a successor to President Amin Gemayel, whose term ends Sept. 23. Syria is the dominant foreign power in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Parliament, which elects the president, failed to obtain a quorum when it met for the vote last month. Most Christian lawmakers boycotted the session to prevent the election of front-runner Suleiman Franjieh, who has Syrian backing.
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