Syrian officials are protesting an American helicopter raid inside the Syrian border that they say killed at least eight civilians.

By this week, the U.S. military in Iraq should have largely transferred responsibility for paying members of "the Sons of Iraq," Sunni Arab groups fighting al-Qaida to the Iraqi government. And, senior Iraqi politicians are warning that, after eight months of talks, a major deal between Baghdad and Washington that directs the presence of American troops in Iraq is doomed.

Lebanon was gripped by violence Thursday as supporters of the Western-backed government and opposition Hezbollah clashed in the streets, following the government’s decision to shut down Hezbollah’s private phone network. The fighting sparked fears of a new civil war.