Lebanon appeared to be sliding into chaos Friday as the Iranian-backed, Syrian-supplied Hizb’allah moved to dramatically upgrade its role in the running of Israel’s sorely-troubled northern neighbor.
At least 11 people were reportedly killed and dozens wounded in three days of clashes which saw armed Hizb’allah fighters - who are Shia Muslims - clash with Sunni Muslim and other government-supporting Lebanese and take over most the Muslim western part of Beirut.
Government-run media outlets were seized and the Lebanese army - reportedly wanting to remain “neutral” - handed control of its offices over to Hizb’allah forces.
Some analysts said the terrorist organization would not try to directly install itself as the new government - a step that could easily ignite a new civil war - but instead was likely to ask the military to assume control.
From his new position of strength Hizb’allah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah dismissed calls by other Lebanese political leaders to quell his belligerence, and demanded the US-backed government of Prime Minister Fuoad Siniora agree to sit down to “talks” with his organization.
But while the immediate ramifications of what seemed undeniably to be a violent putsch attempt were not clear, the quickly-forming new reality signaled a sudden spurt in Iran’s steadily encroaching regional influence.
Israel and the United States are monitoring the situation anxiously. Tehran’s de facto swallowing of Lebanon might well push one or both countries into more directly confronting the Iranian regime.
According to Ha’aretz, Israeli President Shimon Peres played down his nation’s concerns, saying he hoped the Lebanese people would step back from the brink.
“It has nothing to do with Israel. It’s an internal split,” Peres said. “It’s a tragedy for them. It’s a tragedy for all of us. And I hope that at the last moment they will save themselves from a bloody civil war.”
Saudi Arabia, which has supported Siniora and is itself fearfully eyeing the increasingly-bellicose Iran, Friday called for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers, the White House chastised Hizb’allah for being “disruptive” (!) and the United Nations typically, and ineffectually, called on “all sides” to calm down.