Hizbollah Cedes Control of Beirut

The Lebanese government capitulated to Hibollah's demands, not declaring Hizbollah's telephone network as illegal and reinstating Hizbollah's mole as head of airport security. Now Hizbollah has the lebanese government by the balls. Now, if Hizbollah wants something all they have to do is threaten to overrun Beirut again and the government will cave in. National Post

Hezbollah on Saturday began withdrawing gunmen from Beirut and handed control of the streets to the Lebanese army, after days of gunbattles with supporters of the U.S.-backed government.

Hezbollah, a political group backed by Iran and Syria with a guerrilla army, said it was ending its armed presence in Beirut after the army overturned government measures against the group.

Hezbollah seized control of much of the city on Friday after fighters loyal to the group routed gunmen loyal to the anti-Damascus governing coalition.

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Four days of fighting which has killed 37 people erupted after the government said it was taking action against Hezbollah's military communications network and sacked the head of security at Beirut airport, who is close to the Shi'ite group.

Hezbollah said the government had declared war by moving against the network, which played a crucial role in its 34-day war with Israel in 2006.

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, whose legitimacy is disputed by the Hezbollah-led opposition, on Saturday handed responsibility for the moves against Hezbollah to the army, which has sought to avoid conflict with either side. The army overturned them, saying it would handle the issue of the communications network in a way "that would not harm public interest and the security of the resistance." It also said it was reinstating the head of airport security.

The army has mainly been seen as a neutral player in the political crisis between the governing coalition and an opposition alliance led by Hezbollah.

Governing coalition leader Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon's most powerful Sunni politician and a close ally of Saudi Arabia, said he welcomed the army's decision.

Much of the fighting has been between Shi'ite gunmen loyal to the opposition and Sunni supporters of Mr. Hariri.

Two soldiers and 17 gunmen died in clashes on Saturday east of Beirut and in north Lebanon. In the deadliest incident, security sources said at least 12 gunmen died when pro-government fighters stormed an office of a pro-Syrian opposition group in the village of Halba in north Lebanon.

Two people were killed in the capital on Saturday when shots were fired at the funeral of a government supporter in a continuation of the worst violence since the 1975-90 civil war.

At least 100 people have been wounded in recent days.