Beirut – Two months after its devastating war, Lebanon is again on the edge of crisis – at the center of a power play involving the United States, Syria, Iran and Israel.
Neighboring Syria on Thursday denied accusations it wants to topple the Lebanese government, but an ultimatum earlier in the week from the Syrian-allied Hezbollah to stage mass protests to force early elections has alarmed Washington and Europe. At stake is the August cease-fire that halted the Israel- Hezbollah war, and Western efforts to bolster democracy in Lebanon.
The crisis also could undermine U.S. diplomatic overtures to Syria and Iran to help calm Iraq, where both countries have influence among armed groups.
Politics in this ethnically diverse nation have boiled over in recent weeks, washing away a brief period of unity during the war, when Lebanon suffered a pounding from Israel’s military after Hezbollah guerrillas crossed the border and captured two Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah, an armed Shiite group that has often fought Israel, also has 11 legislators in Parliament and has been increasingly aggressive in its political plays. The threat Tuesday from its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, racheted up tensions between pro-Syrian and pro-Western groups.
Nasrallah warned of street protests if Prime Minister Fouad Siniora did not accept his group’s demands for a “national unity” Cabinet, in which Hezbollah and its allies would have a veto on key decisions. Nasrallah set a deadline of Nov. 13.
Hezbollah now has two ministers on the 24-member Cabinet and can count on support from three more, but eight votes are needed to veto key decisions.
Nasrallah’s threat, as well as five grenade attacks in Beirut in recent weeks, have stoked tensions and raised fears of more violence, particularly after a pro- government Christian group said Thursday that it was ready to take to the streets “to defend the Lebanese republic.”
Siniora has dismissed Israeli claims of weapons smuggling and denied his government told the United Nations of such actions. But U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said he was told by Lebanese officials that arms were still flowing from Syria to Lebanon in violation of a U.N. embargo.
