BEIRUT (Reuters)
Lebanon's Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri pledged on Tuesday there would be no political surrender to what he called a bid by Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers to impose their will on the nation by force.
"They simply are demanding that we surrender, they want Beirut to raise white flags... This is impossible," he told a news conference in his first public appearance since Hezbollah swept through Sunni-dominated areas of the capital last week.
"They will not be able to obtain Saad al-Hariri's signature... on a deed to surrender to the Iranian and Syrian regimes," he said.
Hariri's Future TV, forced off the air during the battles, resumed broadcasting shortly before the news conference.
Lebanon's army earlier stepped up patrols as part of a drive to restore order after a week of fighting between Hezbollah fighters and gunmen loyal to Hariri and his allies.
Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim movement backed by Iran and Syria, and its opposition allies have routed supporters of the Sunni-led government in Beirut and hills to the east in fighting that has pushed Lebanon to the brink of a new civil war.
Wary of fragmenting its own ranks, the army has stayed neutral in the conflict, which has killed 81 people, wounded 250 and raised Arab and international concern over Lebanon's future.
Police said 62 dead had been registered, but police sources said they believed the actual toll was higher.
Overall, Lebanon experienced its calmest day since violence broke out on May 7 after Prime Minister Fouad Siniora outlawed Hezbollah's communications network and fired Beirut airport's security chief, who is close to the Shiite group.
Hezbollah said this was a declaration of war and swiftly took over much of Beirut, crushing pro-government Sunni Muslim gunmen. It then handed over its gains to the army. |
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Army presence The army launched its plan to get gunmen off the streets at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT). The initiative was not seen as a challenge to Hezbollah, which has avoided any friction with the army.
Hezbollah's success so far has sapped the credibility of the Siniora government and its main patron, the United States, which says the group is a tool for Iran and Syria to wield influence.
Troops took over more positions held by Druze forces loyal to pro-government leader Walid Jumblatt, whose mountain fiefdom east of Beirut was attacked by Hezbollah on Sunday.
The army also expanded its presence in the northern city of Tripoli after small-scale clashes overnight.
Even if the army manages to halt all fighting, it has no plans to remove street barricades set up by the Hezbollah-led opposition to paralyze Beirut port and airport, and ratchet up pressure on the government to bow to its political demands.
The government has for 18 months resisted opposition demands for veto rights in cabinet, though Hezbollah has now shown it has the military muscle to block decisions it dislikes.
Political turmoil has left Lebanon without a president since November. Parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri has postponed until June 10 an assembly session called for Tuesday to elect a head of state. It was the 19th such delay. |
