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• BEIRUT (AP) -- Activists say the Syrian government has dispatched reinforcements to a predominantly Christian village north of Damascus where rebels have clashed with regime troops this week.
• The director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the government forces sent to Maaloula include tanks and armored personnel carriers. Rami Abdul-Rahman says that they have taken up positions outside the village, which is still under the control of local pro-regime militias.
• Al-Qaida-linked rebel factions attacked Maaloula on Wednesday, and briefly entered the mountainside sanctuary before withdrawing late Thursday.
• Abdul-Rahman says the two sides were skirmishing around the village on Friday.
• The attack on Maaloula spotlighted fears among Syria's religious minorities about the growing role of extremists in the rebel ranks fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime.
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• PHOENIX (AP) -- U.S. Sen. John McCain faced a tough crowd largely opposed to military action in Syria during a town hall meeting Thursday in Phoenix.
• The Republican senator repeatedly told about 150 constituents at the morning meeting that there would be no plans to send U.S. troops to retaliate for the chemical weapons attack last month near Damascus.
• "I want to begin by saying to you I am unalterably opposed to having a single American boot on the ground in Syria," McCain said. "The American people wouldn't stand for it.
• "Second of all, it would not be anything but counterproductive to do that. American blood and treasure is too precious to do that."
• McCain had planned to talk about immigration and other issues at the gathering at a public library, but Syria dominated the conversation. He was interrupted from the start by someone shouting that his response on the topic wasn't good enough.
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