Arab mediators broker deal to end Lebanon conflict

Arab League mediators brokered a deal on Thursday to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the civil war, political sources said, after the US-supported government backed down in its conflict with Hezbollah.

The sources said the head of an Arab League delegation, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, would announce the deal at a news conference in Beirut shortly. Sheikh Hamad will also invite the government and Hezbollah-led opposition to Qatar for talks to resolve Lebanon's broader political conflict which has paralysed the country for 18 months, the sources said.

The deal, brokered after two days of talks, includes the lifting of a Hezbollah-led blockade on Beirut's sea and air ports, the end of armed presence in the streets and a pledge not use weapons to settle domestic political differences, they said.

At least 81 people were killed in the fighting, triggered by government decisions last week to ban the Iranian-backed Hezbollah's communications network and sack Beirut's airport security chief, who is close to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said those moves were a declaration of war and briefly seized control of Muslim areas of the capital, dealing a severe blow to Washington's allies in the ruling coalition.

On Wednesday the cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora cancelled the two measures, meeting one of Hezbollah's demands and easing tensions in the Lebanese capital. Hezbollah said the government's climbdown was a "natural way out" of the crisis.

"We want to return to a settlement which leads, in the end, to there being neither victor nor vanquished," Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader, said after meeting the Arab League delegation.

Hezbollah had also demanded the ruling coalition agree to political talks as a condition for ending its civil disobedience campaign. The talks will tackle how to share power in the cabinet and the details of a new parliamentary election law. The row has paralysed much of government and left Lebanon with no president since November.

Any deal would result in army commander General Michel Suleiman being elected president. As well as highlighting US-Iranian tensions, Lebanon's rivalries are also seen as part of a regional tussle for influence between Saudi Arabia which supports the ruling coalition, and Syria, which backs the government.

The US has blamed the instability on Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, a political movement with a guerrilla army. Iran blames the US for the violence.

The ruling coalition accuses the opposition of trying to restore Syrian control of Lebanon and secure a stronger foothold for Iran in the country.

Syria dominated Lebanon until 2005, when the assassination of statesman Rafik Al-Hariri triggered international pressure that forced it to end its military presence after nearly three decades and plunged Lebanon into crisis. (Reuters)

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