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Tension High in Lebanon Ahead of Hariri Commemoration Rally


Tension is high in Lebanon as government supporters plan a mass rally in Beirut Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The rally is set to take place in central Beirut, near where anti-government protesters led by the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah have been camped out since December.

Hezbollah has been trying to bring down the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Tuesday, bomb blasts on two commuter buses northeast of Beirut killed three people and wounded 20 others.

Anti-Syrian lawmakers in Lebanon's parliament blamed the blasts on Syria and called for increased security along the Syrian border.

Syria is also widely blamed for the February 14, 2005 slaying of Rafik Hariri -- a charge Damascus denies.

Pro-government parties want Syria to stay out of Lebanese affairs and support an international investigation into the Hariri assassination.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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