France will stand against instability in Lebanon

(AP) — France's president pledged Sunday that his country will stand against instability in Lebanon, two weeks after the assassination of a senior Lebanese intelligence official sparked clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups.

Francois Hollande also promised that Paris and the European Union will help Lebanon deal with an influx of more than 100,000 refugees who have fled the civil war in neighboring Syria.

"We are committed to give you guarantees regarding security, stability and unity of Lebanon," Hollande told reporters after meeting President Michel Suleiman.

The Oct. 19 car bomb that killed Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, a powerful anti-Syrian intelligence official, stirred up deadly sectarian tensions in Lebanon, where Sunnis and Shiites are deeply divided over the civil war in Syria, which has killed at least 36,000 people since it began in March 2011.