| REGISTER TO WIN | |
 |
Gunmen from Hezbollah, a Shiite militia backed by Iran and Syria, seized control Friday of neighborhoods in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
The Shiite militia’s raw show of force underscored its refusal to back down in its escalating confrontation with the American-backed government.
Hezbollah allies also forced a government-allied satellite television station off the air and burned the offices of its newspaper affiliate. Sunni fighters loyal to the government largely melted away after three days of the worst sectarian clashes Lebanon has seen since its 15-year civil war.
Those humiliating blows made clearer than ever the power and determination of Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria, and its allies.
The government majority on Friday urgently appealed for help from other nations, calling Hezbollah’s actions an “armed coup” against Lebanon and its democratic system using “weapons sent by Tehran.”
In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States was “deeply concerned” about the ongoing violence and condemned Hezbollah for “undermining the legitimate authority of the Lebanese government.”
Rice and other Bush administration officials were on the phone Friday to their counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon. A senior administration official said the United States was trying to use its Arab allies to send a message to Iran and Syria to stop interfering in Lebanon.
Israeli officials said they were tracking events across their northern border closely but keeping their response muted, clearly anxious not to throw any fuel on the fire.
The gunbattles of the past three days have pitted Sunni Muslims against Shiites. Lebanon’s divided Christians are sitting out the conflict.
By Friday evening, the conflict had spread to Lebanon’s small but influential Druse community. A gunbattle broke out between supporters of the government and opposition in the Chouf mountains, the Druse heartland. Two people were killed, witnesses said.
Three days of street battles have left at least 11 people dead and 20 wounded. The violence seemed to be tapering off on Friday, though some roads remained blocked, including one linking Beirut and its airport.
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.