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Army tightens Lebanon camp siege

June 2 - The Lebanese army has continued to shell the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon as Fatah al-Islam fighters hiding inside vow to fight to the last man.

Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, said on Saturday that the only option for members of the group was to give up their weapons and surrender.

"This is a terrorist gang," he said in a TV interview. "They have to surrender themselves and their arms."

But Abu Salim Taha, Fatah al-Islam spokesman inside the camp, said: "There is no way we will give up our weapons because it is our pride. We cannot even contemplate surrendering."

Camp penetrated

"Security sources have told us that the Lebanese army has managed to penetrate a few hundred metres into the camp," Zheina Khodr, Al Jazeera's correspondent outside the camp near Tripoli, said. More at alJazeera

Labels: Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Nahr Al-Bared, Lebanon, May 27 - The United States sent more ammunition on Saturday to Lebanon, whose army is struggling to defeat a group of heavily armed Islamist militants holed up inside a Palestinian refugee camp.

Three US Air Force cargo planes landed at Beirut's airport and unloaded ammunition and other equipment for the army, airport sources said. Six planes carrying similar military aid from the US and Arab allies arrived on Friday.

The shipments, promised months ago but rushed after fighting erupted between the army and Fatah Al Islam on May 20, arrived as Lebanese soldiers beefed up their positions around Nahr Al Bared camp, the militants' main base.

Fatah Al Islam has claimed to have over 500 fighters with automatic weapons, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, inside the camp.

US arms are a sensitive issue in a nation deeply divided between supporters of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's government and an opposition backed by America's Mideast foes, Iran and Syria. The Shiite Hezbollah-led opposition accuses Siniora of having too close ties to Washington.

Prime Minister Siniora rejected opposition criticism over US military aid.

The militant Fatah Al Islam group, which has vowed to fight to the death, said in a statement the US military supplies included nerve gas and cluster bombs.

"If they use unconventional weapons against us, we will respond with unconventional attacks everywhere," said the statement, read by the group's spokesman Abu Salim Taha.

A Lebanese military spokesman said he had no reaction to "these false allegations which are not worth commenting on".

Later, a purported leader of Fatah Al Islam issued a new threat in videotaped message carried on Al Jazeera television.

The group would fight "the Jews, the Americans and their loyalists", Shaker Al Abssi said, referring to Lebanese leaders. Agencies via Gulfnews

Labels: Lebanon, Luar Negeri

May 26 - A tense standoff between the Lebanese military and Fatah al-Islam at a Palestinian refugee camp has continued into its fourth day, as the US flew further aid to the Lebanese army.

Civilians continued fleeing from the Nahr al- Bared camp on Saturday as the army's siege of the area continued amid sporadic exchanges of gunfire.

The UN has called for the protection of thousands of civilians trapped by the Lebanese army's siege of the camp.

The aid arrived on Saturday, airport officials said, a day after Hezbollah's leader warned the country risked fighting a war "on behalf of the Americans".

In a televised speech on Friday, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shia opposition group Hezbollah, criticised US military involvement, saying that Lebanon risked getting dragged into America's war against al-Qaeda.

"The problem in the north can be solved politically and through the judiciary," he said.

The Lebanese army has besieged Fatah al-Islam, an al-Qaeda linked group made up of fighters from across the region, since Saturday.

Nasrallah said the situation could still be solved "in a way that protects the Lebanese army, our Palestinian brothers, the state and peace and stability without transforming Lebanon into a battleground".

He said accepting US help would draw more fighters into the country and potentially destabilise it.

"Political negotiations"

The US-supplied aid is a sensitive issue in Lebanon, where opposition leaders accuses the government of working to Washington's agenda.

Palestinian factions have been seeking a negotiated solution to end the siege and avert a battle between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam as thousands of civilians who remain in the Nahr al-Bared camp will be in the line of fire.

Osama Hamdan, Hamas' representative in Lebanon, said that "as long as we agree on the necessity of a solution and we speak with a language of solution then there is optimism".

Elias Murr, the Lebanese defence minister, said on Friday he was "leaving room for political negotiations", which he said must lead to the surrender of the fighters from Fatah al-Islam.

"If the political negotiations fail, I leave it to the military command to do what is necessary," he told reporters.

Civilians flee camp

On Saturday, more civilians, mostly women and children, were reported to have fled from the refugee camp as the army's siege of the area continued amid sporadic exchanges of gunfire.

Meanwhile, the UN has called for the protection of thousands of civilians trapped by the Lebanese army's siege of the camp.

"An estimated 10,000 civilians remain in the embattled camp with only sporadic humanitarian support during very brief ceasefire periods," the Unicef, UN children's agency, said.

"Children living in Nahr al-Bared have been through unspeakable trauma," it added.

"Already living in a refugee situation, they have witnessed their homes being destroyed, loved ones being killed or injured, and were trapped in their homes hearing the terrifying sounds of gunfire around them."

Fighting between the Lebanese military and Fatah al-Islam has left scores dead, destroyed houses and triggered a flood of refugees from the camp, which had a population before the fighting of more than 31,000, according to UN figures.

About half of Nahr el-Bared's population of 31,000 fled the camp during the truce, flooding into the nearby Beddawi camp.

At least 20 civilians and 30 soldiers were killed in the fighting earlier this week.

The Lebanese military says 60 Fatah al-Islam fighters were killed, though the group put the toll at 10. Agencies

Labels: Lebanon, Luar Negeri

May 25 - Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, has cautioned the Lebanese government against storming the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon where fighters are holding out against Lebanese troops.

In a televised speech on Friday, he also criticised US weapons aid to the Lebanese army, saying that Lebanon risked getting dragged into America's war against al-Qaeda.

Nasrallah said: "The problem in the north can be solved politically and through the judiciary in a way that protects the Lebanese army, our Palestinian brothers, the state and peace and stability without transforming Lebanon into a battleground in which we fight al-Qaeda on behalf of the Americans."

He said accepting US help would draw more fighters into the country and potentially destabilise it.

First comment

It was the first comment by the powerful anti-government leader on the military's standoff with the Fatah al-Islam group.

As a Shia group, Hezbollah views Sunni fighters like Fatah al-Islam as enemies.

Nasrallah said the Fatah Islam fighters who attacked the military should be brought to justice.

But he said Hezbollah opposed any military incursion into the camp to crush the fighters.

He said: "The Nahr el-Bared camp and Palestinian civilians are a red line. We will not accept or provide cover or be partners in this."

'Dangerous thing'

Hezbollah and its supporters accuse Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, of being a puppet of the US and are pushing for his removal.

Nasrallah called a large airlifting of US military supplies to the Lebanese military to help in the Nahr el-Bared fight "a dangerous thing".

He said: "Does it concern us that we start a conflict with al-Qaeda in Lebanon and consequently attract members and fighters of al-Qaeda from all over the world to Lebanon to conduct their battle with the Lebanese army and the rest of the Lebanese?" Agencies

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Labels: Lebanon, Luar Negeri

May 25 - US air force airplanes have delivered military equipment to the Lebanese army, a Western diplomat and security officials have said.

The Lebanese government had requested more military aid from Washington after the eruption of fighting between the army and the Fatah al-Islam group in a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country.

Three military supply airplanes arrived at Beirut airport overnight, witnesses said.

"This shipment has previously been ordered by the Lebanese army, but it has now been accelerated because of the current urgent needs of the troops," a diplomat said.

"The fact the US is sending military aid will probably not go well with the oposition," Zeina Khodr, Al Jazeera's Lebanon correspondent, said.

She said the oposition accuses the Lebanese government of "working for the interests of the US and implementing a US-plan for what they are calling a 'new Middle East'".

Sporadic gunfire

The diplomat said the US would send eight airplanes carrying military equipment in total.

The Lebanese army has been fighting the Fatah al-Islam movement in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in north Lebanon.

"All the political parties [in Lebanon] are supporting the army," Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese general, told Al Jazeera.

"The Palestinian Authority and the PLO are also denying Fatah al-Islam is [speaking for the] Palestinian [people] because it is a terrorist organistaion."

Sporadic gunfire exchanges punctured the lull in the fighting on Friday as the Lebanese army continued to build up around Nahr el-Bared, near the port city of Tripoli.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, a spokesman for the Fatah al-Islam group, said the group's fighters were committed to a truce with the Lebanese army.

The AFP news agency reported that death toll in the fighting had risen to 78.

Thousands of Palestinian refugees remain trapped inside.

US aid

On Thursday, Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, gave her full backing to the Lebanese government.

"I certainly hope that the Lebanese government will be able to deal with these extremists," Rice said.

"It's just another example of extremists in the Middle East who are trying to destabilize democratic governments."

The Lebanese An Nahar newspaper said that a first US airplane had arrived late on Thursday from Kuwait, with two from Egypt on Friday.

Late on Thursday, a United Arab Emirates air force airplane also arrived with supplies.

The Lebanese military did not comment on the airlift, a sensitive issue in the country.

The remainder will be coming from other Arab states where the US maintains weapons depots, it said.

The United States provided $40m in military aid to Lebanon last year and already this year has supplied hardware worth $5m. alJazeera & Agencies

Labels: Lebanon, Luar Negeri, U.S.

Guardian Unlimited, January 23, 2007 - Thousands of demonstrators brought much of Lebanon to a standstill today as they blocked key transport routes to enforce a general strike aimed at toppling the government.

Clustering in small groups around roadblocks of burning tyres, supporters of the opposition Hizbullah party intensified protests that have been going on for nearly two months. (Picture top - Smoke from burning tyres and debris hangs over Beirut as thousands of demonstrators enforcing a general strike aimed at toppling the government brought much of Lebanon to a standstill. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP)

Television pictures showed clouds of thick black smoke hanging over Beirut. Commuters were stranded and an unusual silence hung over many commercial districts.

Police said 14 people had sustained gunshot wounds in isolated disturbances between opposition supporters and pro-government activists in central and northern Lebanon. There were unconfirmed reports that a man later died of his injuries.

Click to watch video from BBC. Police and troops across the country were working to open roads, sometimes negotiating with protesters, but they refrained from using force. In some instances, the military separated the two opposing sides as they exchanged insults and stones.

Blazing roadblocks cut off the road to Beirut international airport and several flights were cancelled.

The Hizbullah leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, called the strike as part of opposition attempts to bring down the pro-western government of the prime minister, Fouad Siniora, install a new administration and hold early parliamentary elections.

Witnesses said demonstrators had shut down much of downtown and suburban Beirut, as well as other areas around the country. Many workers stayed at home, either in support of the strike or simply fearing violence. Some schools that had said they were open later sent mobile text messages to parents announcing closures because of the unrest.

Government officials described the disturbances as an attempted coup.

"It is one of the chapters of the putsch," the telecommunications minister, Marwan Hamadeh, told al-Arabiya television. "This will fail, as in the past, and the legitimate government of Lebanon will remain steadfast." In another television interview, he called the protesters "thugs".

"The opposition is attempting a coup by force ... This is not a strike," said the youth and sports minister, Ahmed Fatfat. "This is military action, a true aggression, and I'm afraid this could develop into clashes between citizens."

The strike came two days before Mr Siniora and his economic team were due to seek financial aid for Lebanon at an international donors' conference in Paris.

The opposition has also said the grants and loans, which local analysts set at around $5bn (£2.5bn), would only increase the national debt and further weaken the economy, already hit hard by last year's war between Hizbullah guerrillas and Israel.

Opposition supporters have been camped out in front of the prime minister's office in Beirut and have staged several protests since December 1. Troops have been deployed in central Beirut for weeks.

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

January 20 - Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, has promised to intensify the campaign to topple the Lebanese government with a "big" and "effective" action in the coming days.

In an interview on Friday with al-Manar television, Nasrallah said Hezbollah and its allies would soon release a statement on what steps they will take.

Nasrallah said: "I believe this action will be effective, very important and very big."

He did not indicate what the action would be but said the campaign would remain non-violent.

Street protests

Hezbollah and its allies have staged numerous street protests and sit-ins, with protesters camping outside the offices of Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, since December 1, 2006.

Newspapers have speculated that if Hezbollah steps up the campaign, it is likely to include a general strike and the blockading of major roads.

When asked if the opposition would close Beirut's roads, port or airport, Nasrallah declined to comment.

Nasrallah also said that the resignation of Lt Gen Dan Halutz, Israel's military chief, proved that Hezbollah had won the July-August war with Israel.

Internal inquiries by the Israeli military found widespread problems with it's military performance during the 34-day war.

Halutz resigned on Wednesday saying he had to take responsibility.

In his interview Nasrallah said that he expected Israel's defence minister and the prime minister also to resign. alJazeera.net

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

300 stage a symbolic Beirut funeral for Saddam

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri, Saddam

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Opposition protesters in Beirut, led by the pro-Syrian group Hezbollah, are to stage further rallies on Sunday, in the 10th day of protests in Lebanon.

Protesters have brought central Beirut to a standstill since December 1, who say they will not move until Fouad Siniora, the prime minister, agrees to form a government of national unity.

On Saturday, Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, called for Siniora to step down.

He said: "Mr prime minister go home, it's better for you because you cannot captain the ship."

He also repeated opposition accusations that Siniora was a subordinate of the US.

The ruling coalition is made up of Sunni Muslim, Druze and several Christian parties, while the opposition consists of Shia groups, Hezbollah and the Christian Free Patriotic Movement party.

Siniora and the government's Sunni-led majority have refused the oppositions demands and accused Hezbollah of trying to stage a coup in the wake of their 34-day war against Israel in July and August.

On Sunday, the pro-opposition Ad-Diyar newspaper's front page read: "Opposition to rally largest crowd today."

The paper said the opposition would escalate its campaign from Monday, calling for strikes that would lead to a civil disobedience campaign.

For his part, Siniora, in speech on Sunday that was telecast by Al Jazeera and other Arabic channels, said: "Our hand is stretched out to all parties ... we will not close the doors. We will keep the doors open for a bright future. And as we stood defiant against the Israeli aggression, united steadfast, defending our country, we will stand in the face of this ordeal defending out values, the democratic system and national reconciliation and harmony, while opening out hearts to everyone, based on established national patriotic and democratic principles."

As long as it takes

Hashem Ahelbarra, an Al Jazeera correspondent at the protests in Beirut, said: "People here are saying they will stay here for as long as it takes to topple the government."

One Shia protester has been killed and several people hurt in shooting incidents and clashes between supporters of both sides over the past week.

Thousands of Lebanese soldiers and police have been stationed around the the capital ahead of the protest.

A number of pro-government rallies have also been held in several areas of Lebanon.

Sunday will also see a memorial for Gebran Tueni, the Lebanese journalist who called for the withdraw of Syrian troops from Lebanon and was assassinated in 2005.

The memorial will be held at Tueni's newspaper, An-Nahar.

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Hezbollah accused of plotting coup & denied working with Israel in the recent war

The Lebanese prime minister has accused Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shia movement Hezbollah, of plotting a coup.

Fuad Siniora also denied Nasrallah accusations that he had colluded with Israel during the recent war and said the Hezbollah chief should have waited before levelling the charges.

Siniora said on Friday Nasrallah's calls for more protests calling for his government's resignation revealed his intentions.

"His position yesterday showed that he is trying to work on a coup, or at least he is threatening to carry out a coup," Siniora said.

Nasrallah address

In a televised address on Thursday, Nasrallah vowed that street protests would continue until the opposition's demands were achieved to form a new national unity government.

Nasrallah said the "the doors of negotiation are still open", but added that if the ruling anti-Syrian majority remained "stubborn ... we will not accept any of you to head the next government ... we will form an interim government that will hold early elections".

The opposition, made up mainly of Christian and Shia factions, no longer recognises the government after six pro-Syrian ministers resigned last month.

The government, backed by an anti-Syrian parliament majority elected in 2005, has rejected repeated demands from Hezbollah and its allies for increased representation which would give them an effective veto in the cabinet. alJazeera.net

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Thousands of demonstrators have remained camped out on the streets of Beirut for a sixth day of protests.

The opposition says it will step up its campaign to overthrow the Lebanese government, and form a unity government.

The opposition called for a new massive demonstration to happen on Sunday and asked the Lebanese people to prepare for other forms of peaceful protest.

"We call on the Lebanese to participate in a demonstration on Sunday in the hope that our voices are heard," the opposition said.

Nabih Berri, the pro-Syrian parliamentary speaker, whose Amal group is an ally of fellow Shia movement of Hezbollah, told As-Safir newspaper that the street protests would continue, but urged calm.

And Christian leader Michel Aoun said that the Lebanese opposition would escalate its protests if the government failed to accept demands for a national unity cabinet.

"If the prime minister and his camp continue to monopolise power, there will be an escalation of popular pressure," Aoun told Associated French Press. "We will paralyse the government ... we will force it to go into a deep coma."

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference urged Lebanese leaders to act with "the highest degree of self-restraint, wisdom and responsibility in order to save the country from slipping on the inevitable slope of confrontation".

Lebanon's Maronite church also weighed in, urging an early presidential election, an tribunal into the killing of Rafiq al-Hariri, and the formation of a new "government of accord" to end the political deadlock.

The opposition, made up of Shia and Christian factions, has held demonstrations since Friday outside the offices of Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister,in central Beirut where he and several ministers have been holed up.

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition is holding a funeral in Beirut for a protester killed in a shooting that has heightened political and sectarian tension.

The opposition blames the government for the death of a Shia Muslim who was shot after leaving a protest to demand the resignation of Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister.

Siniora has condemned the killing and ordered an inquiry.

"Martyred by the militias of the authorities," reads a banner at the site of the opposition's protest in central Beirut as demonstrators gather for a fifth consecutive day of protests.

"We want these ceremonies to be for the sake of Lebanon's unity and for the sake of the establishment of a Lebanese national unity government," Ali Bezzi, a Shia MP, told the crowds late on Monday.

Lebanon's army has deployed more soldiers in districts that lead to the protest site amid fears Sunday's killing could lead the country into sectarian violence.

The demonstration has been peaceful but the surrounding districts witnessed several clashes between residents and protesters, which has left one dead and others wounded.

The opposition said the incidents would not drive it to abandon plans for toppling the government of Siniora. More..

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Lebanon's army has deployed more soldiers in Beirut amid fears the killing of a man in anti-government protests could lead the country into sectarian violence.

Security sources said that the military increased its forces in districts that lead to central Beirut where the opposition is staging a sit-in to demand the resignation of the government.

The districts witnessed several clashes between residents and protesters on Sunday which left one young man killed and others wounded.

The opposition said the incidents would not drive it to abandon plans for toppling the government of Fouad Siniora, the western-backed sunni prime minister.

Veto power

The Shia group Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, and its allies in the opposition are holding an indefinite sit-in to force Siniora's resignation.

Thousands of protesters spent a third night in a newly-built tent city in central Beirut outside the main government complex where Siniora was spending his days and nights.

Many banks and businesses were again closed on Monday in central Beirut, Lebanon's banking and commercial centre.

Business owners in the area have said that lengthy closures could devastate several businesses and force employers to cut jobs.

The opposition, which includes some Christians, has been demanding effective veto power in the government, which has a majority comprising of anti-Syrian politicians from Christian, Sunni and Druze parties.

Six opposition ministers resigned from the cabinet last month after unity talks collapsed. But the depleted government approved plans for the al-Hariri tribunal, sparking the latest protests.

Skirmishes

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reported that the several other skirmishes between rival protesters were quickly put down by security forces.

Protesters are still camping in tents close to the Lebanese cabinet offices in central Beirut.

"We are not letting [the ministers] sleep, we're disturbing them with our noise. We have the resilience to stay not for one month, but a year or two," said one protester.

Amid the protests, Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, arrived in Beirut to meet Lebanese officials. Moussa said Arab countries could not afford to be bystanders.

He said: "The stability of Lebanon and moving towards a solution that would bring about a sure future for the country is one of our concerns." "All of us are worried about the situation in Lebanon."

Government supporters, who held their own mass funeral procession following the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, a member of the Lebanese majority coalition, stayed away from central Beirut on their leaders' advice.

Walid Jumblatt, a member of the majority March 14 Forces alliance and de facto leader of Lebanon's Druze Muslim community, said: "We will be steadfast, peacefully and democratically. We are here, and when they are convinced that there is no solution except through dialogue, then welcome."

Despite the protest, the city's annual marathon went ahead. Runners used suburban roads to skirt the demonstration.

Syrian influence

The opposition has been demanding veto power in the government, whose majority comprises politicians from Christian, Sunni Muslim and Druze parties.

Hezbollah receives financial and logistical support from Iran and Syria, while most members of the majority March 14 Forces coalition are opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon.

Syrian troops and security pulled out of Lebanon in April 2005 following street demonstrations in the wake of the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister.

Politicians in the majority coalition say the opposition only wants to weaken the government and derail a UN tribunal that would try those suspected of involvement in the al-Hariri killing.

A preliminary UN inquiry has implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing.

Six opposition ministers resigned from the cabinet last month after talks on national unity collapsed. But the depleted government approved plans for the tribunal, leading to the latest protests.

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

A man has been killed in clashes between rival groups in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as supporters of the Hezbollah-led opposition alliance continue to protest against the Lebanese government.

The man, a Shia Muslim, died after being shot in the Tarik Jdideh area of west Beirut. It was not clear where the gunfire came from, witnesses said.

The clash is understood to have occurred as some Hezbollah supporters passed through the Sunni district on their way home from the sit-in protests.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reported that the several other skirmishes between rival protesters were quickly put down by security forces.

Protesters are still camping in tents close to the Lebanese cabinet offices in central Beirut.

"We are not letting [the ministers] sleep, we're disturbing them with our noise. We have the resilience to stay not for one month, but a year or two," said one of the protesters.

Amid the protests, Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, arrived in Beirut to meet Lebanese officials.

Moussa said Arab countries could not afford to be bystanders.

"The stability of Lebanon and moving towards a solution that would bring about a sure future for the country is one of our concerns," he said.

"All of us are worried about the situation in Lebanon."

Dialogue sought

Government supporters, who held their own mass funeral procession following the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, a member of the Lebanese majority coalition, stayed away from central Beirut on their leaders' advice.

Walid Jumblatt, a member of the majority March 14 Forces alliance and de facto leader of Lebanon's Druze Muslim community, said: "We will be steadfast, peacefully and democratically. We are here, and when they are convinced that there is no solution except through dialogue, then welcome."

Despite the protest, the city's annual marathon went ahead. Runners used suburban roads to skirt the demonstration.

The opposition has been demanding veto power in the government, whose majority comprises politicians from Christian, Sunni Muslim and Druze parties.

Differences

Hezbollah receives financial and logistical support from Iran and Syria, while most members of the majority March 14 Forces coalition are opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon.

Syrian troops and security pulled out of Lebanon in April 2005 following street demonstrations in the wake of the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister.

Politicians in the majority coalition say the opposition only wants to weaken the government and derail a UN tribunal that would try those suspected of involvement in the al-Hariri killing.

A preliminary UN inquiry has implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing.

Six opposition ministers resigned from the cabinet last month after talks on national unity collapsed. But the depleted government approved plans for the tribunal, sparking the latest protests.

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri

Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition are camping out in central Beirut on the second day of protests to demand the resignation of the country's Western-backed government.

They pitched tents near central Beirut's Martyrs' Square and on streets leading to the government's headquarters on Saturday.

Thousands of them called for the resignation of Lebanon's government at a Hezbollah-led rally in Beirut on Friday. They demanded imposing a blockade on the government offices, but later eased it after contacts between opposition leaders and Arab diplomats, according to a senior opposition source.

"The government received our message," he said.

On Saturday, hundreds of supporters of Hezbollah and its allies - the Shia Muslim Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement of Christian leader Michel Aoun - were stretched out on the pavement wrapped in blankets or huddled around camp fires keeping warm in the morning chill.

Scores of soldiers have cordoned off the government offices in Beirut with barbed wire and metal barriers.

Saudi backing

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, an Arab diplomatic heavyweight, told Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, and ministers with him in the government headquarters that his country supported them, Siniora's office said.

Saudi Arabia would not accept any deterioration in the security situation, Abdullah said during a phone call.

Although the dispute is political, many Lebanese fear the situation could spark sectarian violence. Tension between Sunnis and Shias is high, as is bad feeling between Christians who support leaders allied to the rival camps.

Participants in Friday's rally created a sea of Lebanese flags downtown that spilled onto the surrounding streets amid the deafening sound of Lebanese nationalist songs.

Many chanted slogans demanding that Siniora quit.

In response, Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri, who backs Siniora, told Al Hurra television late on Friday: "No matter how long they stay in the street ... this will not bring down the government ..."

Aoun speech

In a speech during the protest, Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement party, said: "I call on the prime minister and his ministers to quit."

Organisers said the protesters put up tents on main roads leading to the Grand Serail building to force the resignation of Siniora, who was inside his offices with a group of cabinet ministers.

"These are not Hezbollah supporters, they are Lebanese from every sect," Al Jazeera's Rula Amin said.

The call for peaceful street action came after a statements by Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, and other leaders.

"We appeal to all Lebanese, from every region and political movement, to take part in a peaceful and civilised demonstration on Friday to rid us of an incapable government that has failed in its mission," he said.

The Lebanese military has instructions to maintain order and not take sides during the protest and open-ended sit-in.

Tents, food, medical supplies and electrical generators are being distributed for what is expected to be a lengthy display of dissatisfaction.

Ibrahim al-Moussaoui, Al-Manar television's editor, said protesters will lay siege till the government is brought down.

"The government has let down the people of Lebanon. Demonstrations will continue till the government is brought down, if not then people might resort to civil disobedience."

"We will not allow any coup against our democratic regime. We are determined to stay the course, as our government is legitimate and constitutional ... and enjoys the confidence of parliament."

Walid Jumblatt, a senior pro-government politician, said both the March 14 coalition and the government will face the opposition protest and blockade calmly. "The current crisis in Lebanon can only be solved by dialogue," he said, while rejecting what he called "Syrian-Iranian tutelage". aljazeera.net

Labels: Berita, Lebanon, Luar Negeri