Lebanese army threatens force to stop Hizbullah

Fierce fighting erupted in northern Lebanon on Monday, further exacerbating tensions after days of deadly sectarian battles that have driven the nation to the brink of full-blown civil war, and causing Lebanon's army to declare it will use force from Tuesday to stop the fighting. "Army units will halt violations in accordance with the law, even if that leads to the use of force," a military statement said. The order would be implemented from 6am on Tuesday. The statement followed more clashes that erupted Monday between supporters of the Western-backed government and militants loyal to the HIzbullah-led Shiite opposition in two neighbourhoods in the port city of Tripoli, a security official and witnesses said. In response to the army's declaration, Hizbullah aide to Hassan Nasrallah, Hajj Hussein al-Khalil, said that the organization would continue in its "civilian revolt in the way of peace" until all of its objectives had been achieved. In an interview on Monday he blamed the government for declaring war on Hizbullah, and reiterated that the organization would not give up its fight. Khalil attacked the Lebanese government, calling it illegitimate and blaming Prime Minister Fouad Siniora for taking orders from the US. He claimed that the government was attempting "to achieve the American dream, according to which Lebanon will become a country without resistance, vulnerable to the long reach of Israel's arm." Khalil also blamed the government for being the first to draw weapons, and the Druze people who fought the advances of Hizbullah for committing crimes of "kidnapping, execution, vandalism of corpses and firing towards civilian populations. "(The government) decided to attack and we chose to defend ourselves. Why are they hiding behind false slogans, phony claims, and forged stories?" he asked. Clashes in Lebanon (Video: Infolive.tv) Election postponed once again Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Monday that the presidential elections had been postponed for the 19th time, and were now scheduled for June 10. Once again, the delay was caused by the inability of the anti-Syrian side and Hizbullah to reach an agreement as to the presidential candidate. Lebanon's political standoff, which erupted in November 2006 when six pro-Syrian ministers quit, has left it without a president since November, when Damascus protege Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term. In its most recent crisis, Lebanon has been rocked by six days of fighting that has left at least 59 people dead and nearly 200 wounded, the worst unrest since the 1974-1990 civil war. The ruling Sunni-led majority vowed it would not negotiate with Hizbullah under the gun, as Arab ministers prepared to send in a team to try to end a feud which some fear could engulf other parts of the volatile Middle East. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Tripoli, a mainly Sunni Muslim city where weekend violence had left one woman dead and several wounded. Pro-government Sunni fighters. (Photo: AP) Lebanese troops also moved into the Druze mountains southeast of the capital after firefights on Sunday left 13 dead, a security official said. Many people have fled the region, where homes were hit by rockets, shop windows broken and cars set ablaze in the weekend firefights. "Even the Israelis didn't do this to us," said one elderly Druze woman in the town of Shwayfat. "They (Hizbullah) came into our homes, terrified our children and broke everything." In Beirut, there was an uneasy calm although schools and some businesses were still shut. Some barricades put up by Hizbullah fighters and their allies remained, the road to Beirut international airport was shut for the sixth straight day and one border crossing into Syria was blocked. The showdown saw the powerful Iranian and Syrian backed militant group seize large swathes of Muslim west Beirut last week, plunging the already fragile nation into fear and uncertainty. Gunmen on streets. (Photo: AP) Declaration of war The clashes began last Thursday after Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused the government of effectively declaring war against his party, and spread to other parts of Lebanon during the weekend. However opposition fighters withdrew from the capital's streets on Saturday after the army acted to overturn two government measures against Hizbullah that triggered the fighting. The crisis is widely seen as an extension of the regional confrontation pitting the United States and its Arab allies against Syria and Iran. US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe at the weekend blamed Hizbullah, saying: "They continue to be a destabilising force there with the backing of their supporters, Iran and Syria." Arab foreign ministers said after crisis talks in Cairo they will send a high-level delegation to Beirut to try to broker talks between the rival factions.

Lebanese army threatens force to stop Hizbullah

Army declares will halt violence in Lebanon even by force, after clashes break out again in port city of Tripoli between supporters of Western-backed government, militants loyal to Hizbullah. Six days of fighting leave dozens dead, hundreds wounded