Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim party that took over sections of western Beirut for four days, said it would withdraw its forces because the Lebanese army gave in to a key demand to let it preserve its military communications.
They've got their way, Nasrallah's established supremacy. They can take over again the same way any time they want to. | Al-Manar, Hezbollah's television station, said today the army had revoked the dismissal of the Beirut airport security chief, who was fired by the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Siniora dismissed him over the discovery of a secret Hezbollah surveillance system at the airport. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had demanded his reinstatement. ``The opposition will pull its fighters back,'' al-Manar said in a brief statement. The party, which the U.S. regards as a terrorist organization, said it would not dismantle its private land-line telephone network. At a press conference, Ali Hassan Khalil, a legislator allied with Hezbollah, also said the militia would leave Beirut streets.
In a speech a few hours earlier, Siniora ordered the army to clear Beirut streets of gunmen loyal to Hezbollah and its allies. ``I call on the army to establish security for everyone in all areas and clear armed elements from the streets.'' The army made no immediate move to comply. Then, shortly after the speech, it issued a statement revoking the airport decision and saying it would look into the phone network.
Militia members from Hezbollah and its allies, armed with machine guns and wearing civilian clothing or fatigues, manned checkpoints on and around Hamra Street, a main commercial thoroughfare. Hezbollah, an ally of Iran and Syria, has been locked in a power struggle with Siniora, backed by the U.S. and its Arab allies, for 18 months. Hezbollah, which counts the Shiite group Amal and a Christian party in its bloc, is demanding a veto over government decisions. |