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Last update - 17:46 13/05/2008
Saudi FM: Hezbollah 'coup' will affect Iran ties with Arab world
By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Lebanon

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday Iranian-backed Hezbollah's routing of the Western-backed government's supporters in Lebanon would affect the Islamic Republic's ties with Arab countries.

"Of course, for Iran to back the coup that happened in Lebanon and support it will have an impact on its relations with all Arab countries," Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said in a news conference.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday rejected the accusations.
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"Iran is the only country not interfering in Lebanon," Ahmadinejad told a news conference.

Hezbollah, the Shi'ite Muslim movement backed by Iran and Syria, and its opposition allies have overpowered 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.

Lebanon's army stepped up patrols on Tuesday as part of a drive to restore order after a week of fighting between Hezbollah fighters and pro-government gunmen.

The army, which is respected by the militant Hezbollah group, has played a central role in defusing the violence that started Wednesday by calling on armed supporters from both sides to leave the streets.

But it has remained neutral in the conflict and did not intervene as Shiite gunmen from Hezbollah overran much of west Beirut and the offices of Sunni parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri.

The army's announcement Tuesday signaled that it could step up its involvement to bring an end to the country's worst internal fighting since the end of the civil war in 1990, which has left at least 54 people dead and scores more wounded.

"Army units will prevent any violations, whether by individuals or groups, in accordance with the law even if this is going to lead to the use of force," said an army statement released late Monday.

One reason the army had largely stayed out of the fighting was the fear that its forces could break apart along sectarian lines as they did during the civil war.

"The army should enter the governmental palace and remove [Lebanese Prime Minister] Fouad Siniora," Wiam Wahab, a Druze member of parliament allied with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, declared Monday.

"This demand is Hezbollah's immediate goal, and it will not retreat from it," agreed an associate of Christian General Michel Aoun, another Nasrallah ally, in a conversation with Haaretz. "This government's days are numbered. One can imagine 1,000 proposals for resolving the crisis, with involvement by the Arab League, religious scholars or anyone who wants to deal with this crisis, but Siniora's removal, the establishment of a national unity government in which the opposition has a veto, and amending the election law are our [Aoun's] and Hezbollah's minimum demands."

A few hours later, Aoun reiterated these demands publicly.

The Christian general's announcement came in response to a statement by former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel, head of a rival Christian party that belongs to the governing coalition: "Hezbollah must promise that it will never again aim its weapons inside Lebanon."

To Gemayel, that is a precondition for any political dialogue. But it also represents a retreat from the government's support for UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which demanded Hezbollah's disarmament. This retreat was also evident in the fact that several government spokesmen called for reaching understandings with Nasrallah on Monday, while Nasrallah himself remained silent.

Instead, his troops spoke for him, through their rapid takeover of Beirut and key cities around Mount Lebanon. This included successfully disarming the militia of Siniora's Druze ally, Walid Jumblatt. On Sunday, Jumblatt sounded defeated: He ordered his men to turn over their weapons to the Lebanese Army, and begged Nasrallah not to translate their personal rivalry into a campaign of revenge against the Druze in general.

"Those who previously demanded that Hezbollah be disarmed are now being compelled to disarm themselves," noted one Lebanese commentator. "Lebanon needs to start getting used to the new reality."

This "new reality" has sowed panic among many Lebanese Christians, in part due to rumors that Nasrallah planned to take revenge on his erstwhile opponents. Aoun publicly pledged yesterday that no Christians would be harmed, but that failed to assuage their fears.

The bottom line is that the Arab League delegation due to arrive in Beirut today faces a seemingly irreversible reality that will force it to grant a seal of approval to Hezbollah's political takeover. Over the weekend, Yemen's president said publicly that Siniora ought to resign. And that, it seems, is likely to be the basis for any plan to resolve the crisis.

Related articles:
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  • ANALYSIS / Who will stop Hezbollah? Not the Lebanon Army
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  • Lebanon PM: Hezbollah did to Beirut what Israel didn't dare
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      1.   Oh shut up,you American puppet! 16:18  |  lakshmi 13/05/08
      2.   Siniora is finished 16:46  |  Harold 13/05/08
      3.   Jumblatt who? 16:47  |  Harold 13/05/08
      4.   Saudi is the crux of many problems. 16:47  |  Jean Van Daem 13/05/08
      5.   Hezbolla must respect law and disarm 16:57  |  lakshmi 13/05/08
      6.   Guaranteed failure forever 17:16  |  Jim 13/05/08
      7.   #4 Jean Van Daem 17:21  |  Jim 13/05/08
      8.   Iran is led by irrational arrogants 17:23  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/05/08
      9.   Lebanese unwilling to fight for their own country 17:28  |  McQueen 13/05/08
      10.   Rational Arabs with "cojones" 17:39  |  ScotGuy 13/05/08
      11.   #5 Lakshmi Egad! 17:42  |  Jim 13/05/08
      12.   Saudi way of life. 17:55  |  royzer 13/05/08
      13.   The Lebalestinians and Hezbalestinians are doomed! 17:56  |  Amazed 13/05/08
      14.   #8 Cipora Julianna Kohn 17:58  |  Jim 13/05/08
      15.   lakshit # 1,oh shut up,you arab/muslim ass kisser 17:58  |  terrornator 13/05/08
      16.   For Cipora # 8 urgently. 17:59  |  Shaul Nahmias 13/05/08
      17.   Saudi Arabia is Americas favorite despotism 18:02  |  Natallie Durson 13/05/08
      18.   stop putting off the inevitable. destroy mullah junta & puppets 18:28  |  frenz 13/05/08
      19.   #9 McQueen 18:29  |  Jim 13/05/08
      20.   Hizbollah is Iran`s doggie 18:31  |  Dhimmi Hendrix 13/05/08
      21.   The christians from Shouf will very soon be able to go back 18:32  |  Aounist 13/05/08
      22.   #10 ScotGuy 18:33  |  Jim 13/05/08
      23.   #16, Shaul 18:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/05/08
      24.   The House of Saud, and the House of Hariri 18:46  |  Mark Lincoln 13/05/08
      25.   #12 royzer 18:47  |  Jim 13/05/08
      26.   #8, Cipora Julianna Kohn 18:50  |  Fritz 13/05/08
      27.   Issue A Fatwa Against The Convert From Hell 18:59  |  Lavi 13/05/08
      28.   Simpelton Explanations for a complex situation 19:01  |  Mark Lincoln 13/05/08
      29.   #15 terrormator 19:03  |  Jim 13/05/08
      30.   The Lebanese government is Americas Prostitute.. 19:07  |  American 13/05/08
      31.   McQueen - Hezboallah IS IN ITS OWN COUNTRY! 19:08  |  duh! 13/05/08
      32.   To Saudi FM 19:08  |  Mary 13/05/08
      33.   # 17 Tell us something new, Fatmah... 19:19  |  misha 13/05/08
      34.   #18 frenz 19:29  |  Jim 13/05/08
      35.   Lakshmi 19:37  |  Espart 13/05/08
      36.   #22 Jim 19:39  |  ScotGuy 13/05/08
      37.   #27 Lavi 20:00  |  Jim 13/05/08
      38.   Arab FM`s 20:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/05/08
      39.   #32 Mary Wow! 20:15  |  Jim 13/05/08
      40.   #36 ScotGuy 20:49  |  Jim 13/05/08
      41.   Cipora, did you see this yesterday re M Lincoln? 21:04  |  Stephen in New York 13/05/08
      42.   This be the same Arab Ministers 21:12  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/05/08
      43.   HHEELLPPP 21:17  |  JO 13/05/08
      44.   Mr. Saudi, I feel your pain. 21:23  |  ManintheMiddle 13/05/08
      45.   To laksmi 21:26  |  Edward 13/05/08
      46.   #37 Jim: How Do You Think Islam Spread To Persia? 21:34  |  Lavi 13/05/08
      47.   The Lebanese government is not an American puppet 21:48  |  Mark Lincoln 13/05/08
      48.   the old empire 22:00  |  a dreamer 13/05/08
      49.   Aounist - do not count upon it 22:15  |  Mark Lincoln 13/05/08
      50.   The central problems 22:30  |  Mark Lincoln 13/05/08
      51.   #41, Stephen in NY 22:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/05/08
      52.   The Islamist reformation cannot occur from buying despots! 22:51  |  Mandingo 13/05/08
      53.   #41 Stephen in New York 23:12  |  Jim 13/05/08
      54.   #15 Well hey there Terrornator 23:14  |  ballistic 13/05/08
      55.   #46 Lavi Rome????? 23:44  |  Jim 13/05/08
      56.   #53, Jim, your name is not David Albright 23:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/05/08
      57.   #47 Mark Lincoln 23:51  |  Jim 13/05/08
      58.   #29, jim, A question! 23:54  |  DR 13/05/08
      59.   Ahmadinejad 00:10  |  Fred 14/05/08
      60.   35 Espart,post 5 is a fake! 00:36  |  lakshmi 14/05/08
      61.   BALLISTIC`S FIXATIONS 00:52  |  Brant 14/05/08
      62.   Post 5 is a fake post! 01:32  |  lakshmi 14/05/08
      63.   Jim 01:33  |  Mark Lincoln 14/05/08
      64.   Cipora - who is ignorant of nuclear physics 01:41  |  Mark Lincoln 14/05/08
      65.   David Albright vs. Cipora Notbright 01:48  |  Mark Lincoln 14/05/08
      66.   Hey Saud...Yu are little bit late.... 02:00  |  ali 14/05/08
      67.   Jean Van Daeme...Saudis give zero the WFB 02:13  |  Lynn 14/05/08
      68.   2nd try,35 Espart,45 Edward,ofcourse Espart post 5 is a fake post 03:10  |  lakshmi 14/05/08
      69.   #58 Mark Lincoln 03:11  |  Jim 14/05/08
      70.   #55 Cipora Julianna Kohn 03:33  |  Jim 14/05/08
      71.   #59 Mark Lincoln 03:47  |  Jim 14/05/08
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