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Lebanon on the boil

DUBAI: Lebanon is on edge following Wednesday’s clashes between the opposition Hizbollah and government supporters in Beirut.

The two sides had clashed after key labour unions supporting Hizbollah had gone on strike, pressing for higher wages.

There was no let up in tensions on Thursday, with the fallout of Wednesday’s developments affecting the eastern Beqaa Valley, on the border with Syria. The pro-Iranian Hizbollah has its core supporters in southern Lebanon, south Beirut and Beqaa Valley. Beirut and its outskirts also have Christian strongholds, Sunni-dominated areas and sectors where the Druze community exercises its influence.

The government is backed by an alliance of wealthy Sunni groups, pro-West sections of Christians and dominant sections of the Druze community. Most of the groups are well-armed and have history of violence against each other as witnessed during the Lebanese Civil War.

Hizbollah supporters on Thursday continued to block the main roads leading to the Beirut airport with burning tyres and earth mounds.

As a result, flights were disrupted for a second successive day. With tensions engulfing the Beqaa Valley, the main motorway linking Beirut with Syria was also cut off.

Analysts pointed out that a spiral of violence would be hard to control and could flare up in case there were casualties across Lebanon’s sectarian and religious divide. Tensions between the Hizbollah and the government forces had touched a new high on Tuesday after the government announced that it would close Hizbollah’s private telecommunication network.

The government also accused Hizbollah of positioning cameras to record the movement of aircraft from Beirut airport.

The trade unions have been demanding a tripling of monthly wages, after the recent surge in food and fuel prices. The government is reluctant to do so, citing that increase in salaries would lead to inflation.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which exercises considerable influence among Lebanon’s Sunni community, has warned that the escalation of the conflict would only benefit “extremist external forces.”

“The kingdom calls the brothers in Lebanon from all the political groups and backgrounds to listen to the voice of wisdom and reason and put Lebanon’s interest above other interests,” the state news agency SPA said.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who leads the pro-western coalition government, will meet U.S. President George Bush on May 18 at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

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