internal divisions in Lebanon
[apparently without the unifying influence of an Israeli attack,
Hezbollah is losing fans among the Lebanese]
Shia fury highlights Lebanon sectarian crisis By Ferry Biedermann in Beirut
Lebanon’s sectarian fabric yesterday looked increasingly stretched as
thousands of Shia demonstrators attended the funeral of the first
fatality in their continuing protests to topple Fouad Siniora, the
country’s Sunni prime minister.
The army’s commander warned that the military may not be able to
control the situation for much longer after soldiers intervened for a
second night in clashes between Shia demonstrators and Sunni
government supporters.
“The absence of political solutions along with a recurrence of
security incidents, particularly those with sectarian overtones,
drains the army’s capabilities and weakens neutrality,” General
Michel Suleiman said, according to a local news agency.
The army includes conscripts and officers from all backgrounds, with
Lebanon’s main groups - Shia, Sunni and Maronite Christians - having
the largest representation. During the 1975-1991 civil war, the
military split along sectarian lines.
Pro-Syrian Shia Hizbollah and Amal movements turned the funeral of
the demonstrator, who was killed in clashes on Sunday night, into
another massive protest against the western-backed government.
Mourners called for the death of Mr Siniora and blamed a “government
militia” for the killing. They emphasised the increasingly sectarian
nature of the crisis, shouting: “The blood of the Shia is boiling.”
The Future movement, which backs the government, said Hizbollah was
the only armed group in the country and operated a state within a state.
The opposition is led by the Shia Hizbollah movement and also
includes the bloc of the Christian leader, General Michel Aoun. But
his supporters have been much less in evidence at the demonstrations
during the past few days.
The precise circumstances of the death of 21-year-old Ahmed Mahmoud
are still not known, nor is there clarity over who shot him. Mr
Mahmoud, a Shia, was hit by a bullet during clashes in his majority
Sunni neighbourhood of Qasqas, shortly after he came home from the
anti-government demonstrations in the centre of Beirut.
Shia religious leaders and representatives of the Amal movement, to
which Mr Mahmoud’s family is close, called for calm and asked
mourners not to seek revenge.
But television channels belonging to both camps are contributing to
the rising tensions. Hizbollah’s Al-Manar television station and pro-
government FutureTV have exchanged accusations over who is
responsible for the unrest. “Television war threatens to ignite the
fire of strife,” the Al-Balad newspaper yesterday said in a front
page headline.
The opposition is demanding a blocking minority in a “national unity”
government that would prepare for new elections. Hizbollah accuses
the government of not having supported it sufficiently in the summer
war with Israel.