Hezbollah to Pull Forces Off Beirut

BEIRUT, 11 May 2008 Hezbollah and its allies announced last night that they would withdraw their gunmen from west Beirut, raising hopes for a political settlement after four days of street battles that have left at least 30 people dead across Lebanon.

The statement came shortly after the Lebanese Army widely seen as a neutral force here proposed to resolve the dispute that provoked the latest round of bloody confrontations between the Hezbollah-led opposition and government supporters.

Hezbollah supporters seized control of west Beirut on Friday, patrolling the streets and prompting angry accusations that the group had staged an armed coup.

Government officials had previously called on the army to resolve the impasse — and retake control of the streets from Hezbollah supporters — by settling a dispute about Hezbollah’s private telephone network. But until now, Hezbollah had refused those offers, and the army had remained silent.

Yesterday, the army proposed to resolve the issue by investigating Hezbollah’s private telephone network without harming the group’s integrity, and to retain Brig. Gen. Wafiq Shqeir, the current chief of airport security who is close to Hezbollah, in his post.

Earlier this week, the government challenged Hezbollah’s telephone network and tried to fire Shqeir after it said it found a spy camera set up by Hezbollah on the airport road.

Earlier in the day in a televised address, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora lashed out at Hezbollah for using its weapons against fellow Lebanese, and he called on the Lebanese Army to retake control of the streets from militia fighters.

“The core of the problem with Hezbollah is that they have decided to force their will on the Lebanese people,” Siniora said, in his first public comments since the latest crisis began on Wednesday.

At least 30 people have been killed and scores wounded in gunbattles since Wednesday, in the worst sectarian bloodshed since Lebanon’s 15-year civil war ended in 1990.

Yesterday, Hezbollah officials announced that three Hezbollah members had been kidnapped in the Chouf mountain town of Aley, and that two others had been killed by fighters loyal to Walid Jumblatt, the Druze leader. Hezbollah’s statement made it clear that the group held Jumblatt — who is allied with Siniora’s government — responsible for the kidnapping and murders of the men, who were found shot and stabbed in front of a hospital.

Meanwhile, in northern Lebanon, 10 people were killed in scattered gunbattles between supporters of the government and the Hezbollah-led opposition.

Although most of Beirut was somewhat calmer yesterday, a funeral for a pro-government supporter erupted into bloodshed when an opposition storeowner opened fire on the mourners.

As the pallbearers approached a store owned by a member of the Amal Party, which is allied with Hezbollah, mourners urged the owner to close his store. When he refused, they started smashing windows. Furious, the storeowner opened fire at them, killing Ali Masri, 23, and Moussa Zouki, 24.

Meanwhile, with violence continuing, the governments of Turkey and Kuwait began evacuating their citizens through Lebanon’s northern border with Syria, the only open route out of the country. The road to Lebanon’s airport has been blocked since Wednesday by Hezbollah supporters. Other land routes are cut off, and Beirut port is also shut.

Some Lebanese took to the streets yesterday to express their outrage over Hezbollah's show of force, and over the armed attacks on a television station and newspaper allied with the government. A group of government supporters marched to the offices of Future Television, a satellite channel that was commandeered by the army after Hezbollah supporters threatened it on Friday.

'Hezbollah are liars; they are despicable', said Nawal Al-Meouchi, 60, who had come to show her support along with her husband, her son and her daughter. “They said they would never turn their arms on the Lebanese, but they have.

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