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 Shi'ite 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.