Fear and anger intensify in Beirut crisis - Businesses call strike to urge a resolution
Fear and anger intensify in Beirut crisis - Businesses call strike to urge a resolution
Copyright by The Associated Press
Published: November 24, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's political crisis worsened Friday, with ministers in the anti-Syrian government fearing for their lives after the assassination of one member, businesses going on strike and all sides ignoring calls for a negotiated resolution.
Beirut was tense after several hundred supporters of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah movement briefly took to the streets the night before, burning tires and blocking the road to the airport before Hezbollah's leader ordered them home.
But the U.S.-backed government was moving ahead with an issue likely to further anger Hezbollah. The cabinet was due to meet Saturday to give its final approval to an international court created by the United Nations to try suspects in the February 2005 killing of Rafik Hariri, a former prime minister.
The political standoff in Lebanon pits opponents of Syria, mostly Christians and Sunni Muslims, against its allies, mostly Shiite Muslims, led by the powerful Hezbollah guerrilla group. Those opposing Syria dominate the government and Parliament, but Hezbollah is threatening to bring down the government with a wave of mass protests unless it and its allies are given more power.
The assassination Tuesday of Pierre Gemayel, the industry minister and an anti-Syrian Christian leader, renewed anger at Damascus, which dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades but was forced to withdraw its troops last year over accusations that it was behind the killing of Hariri. Damascus has denied any role in the slayings of Hariri, Gemayel and four other anti-Syrian politicians over the past two years.
An estimated 800,000 government supporters - a fifth of the population - turned out for Gemayel's funeral Thursday, turning it into a political rally against Syria.
"Even at the height of the civil war, Lebanon has never witnessed this level of polarization among its sects, this kind of political mobilization and the crisis at such a dead end," wrote Sateh Noureddine, managing editor of the daily As Safir.
Fearing a meltdown if the political standoff continues, business leaders called a two-day strike Friday to urge the rival leaders to "take national decisions," engage in dialogue and "stop making threats of street protests."
Factories, banks and financial institutions closed Friday. Though many small shops remained open, many schools kept their doors closed and traffic was thinner than normal on Beirut's usually bustling streets.
Underlining the atmosphere of fear after Gemayel's assassination, some cabinet ministers have moved to the massive government headquarters in central Beirut to live and work there.
Efforts to break the deadlock, and even the outpouring of grief over the killing of the young politician, have so far failed to soften the entrenched positions. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have mediated in recent days, apparently without results.
Hezbollah ignored a call by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Thursday night for it to resume dialogue and for six pro-Hezbollah members who quit his cabinet this month to return to their posts. The six quit in protest just before the cabinet gave its initial approval to the international tribunal.
Siniora's call for a cabinet session on Saturday further fueled the tension. That meeting is to approve a UN protocol that will create the court. Several Syrian officials are to be put on trial, and the court's creation is sharply opposed by Hezbollah.
Talal Saheli, one of the Shiite ministers who resigned, said the cabinet session planned for Saturday was unconstitutional, according to the official National News Agency.
Pro-government groups have warned that more ministers may be targeted for assassination in an effort to deny the cabinet the legal two-thirds quorum of 16 needed to approve the court. The cabinet now has 17 members following the Shiites' withdrawal and Gemayel's death.
Copyright by The Associated Press
Published: November 24, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's political crisis worsened Friday, with ministers in the anti-Syrian government fearing for their lives after the assassination of one member, businesses going on strike and all sides ignoring calls for a negotiated resolution.
Beirut was tense after several hundred supporters of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah movement briefly took to the streets the night before, burning tires and blocking the road to the airport before Hezbollah's leader ordered them home.
But the U.S.-backed government was moving ahead with an issue likely to further anger Hezbollah. The cabinet was due to meet Saturday to give its final approval to an international court created by the United Nations to try suspects in the February 2005 killing of Rafik Hariri, a former prime minister.
The political standoff in Lebanon pits opponents of Syria, mostly Christians and Sunni Muslims, against its allies, mostly Shiite Muslims, led by the powerful Hezbollah guerrilla group. Those opposing Syria dominate the government and Parliament, but Hezbollah is threatening to bring down the government with a wave of mass protests unless it and its allies are given more power.
The assassination Tuesday of Pierre Gemayel, the industry minister and an anti-Syrian Christian leader, renewed anger at Damascus, which dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades but was forced to withdraw its troops last year over accusations that it was behind the killing of Hariri. Damascus has denied any role in the slayings of Hariri, Gemayel and four other anti-Syrian politicians over the past two years.
An estimated 800,000 government supporters - a fifth of the population - turned out for Gemayel's funeral Thursday, turning it into a political rally against Syria.
"Even at the height of the civil war, Lebanon has never witnessed this level of polarization among its sects, this kind of political mobilization and the crisis at such a dead end," wrote Sateh Noureddine, managing editor of the daily As Safir.
Fearing a meltdown if the political standoff continues, business leaders called a two-day strike Friday to urge the rival leaders to "take national decisions," engage in dialogue and "stop making threats of street protests."
Factories, banks and financial institutions closed Friday. Though many small shops remained open, many schools kept their doors closed and traffic was thinner than normal on Beirut's usually bustling streets.
Underlining the atmosphere of fear after Gemayel's assassination, some cabinet ministers have moved to the massive government headquarters in central Beirut to live and work there.
Efforts to break the deadlock, and even the outpouring of grief over the killing of the young politician, have so far failed to soften the entrenched positions. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have mediated in recent days, apparently without results.
Hezbollah ignored a call by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Thursday night for it to resume dialogue and for six pro-Hezbollah members who quit his cabinet this month to return to their posts. The six quit in protest just before the cabinet gave its initial approval to the international tribunal.
Siniora's call for a cabinet session on Saturday further fueled the tension. That meeting is to approve a UN protocol that will create the court. Several Syrian officials are to be put on trial, and the court's creation is sharply opposed by Hezbollah.
Talal Saheli, one of the Shiite ministers who resigned, said the cabinet session planned for Saturday was unconstitutional, according to the official National News Agency.
Pro-government groups have warned that more ministers may be targeted for assassination in an effort to deny the cabinet the legal two-thirds quorum of 16 needed to approve the court. The cabinet now has 17 members following the Shiites' withdrawal and Gemayel's death.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 8:04 AM
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