Local News
US warily welcomes less violence in Lebanon
By
May 10, 2008 - 8:40:07 PM

A Lebanese Shiite gunman patrols a barricated street in the West Beirut neighbourhood of Mar Elias

CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) — The White House on Saturday welcomed steps to defuse the deadly unrest in Lebanon but cautioned that any long-term resolution required a change in the role Hezbollah plays there.

"I think that first of all we want to see an end to the violence against the Lebanese people, I think we're beginning to see some of that," said US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

But "our concerns regarding Hezbollah are unchanged. They continue to be a destabilizing force there with the backing of their supporters, Iran and Syria," he said as US President George W. Bush prepared for the wedding of one of his daughters on his Texas ranch.

Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition on Saturday said it was ending its takeover of west Beirut after the army revoked government moves against the Shiite group that sparked days of deadly fighting.

The announcement came shortly after the army said it was overturning a government decision to reassign the head of Beirut airport security and to probe a communications network set up by Hezbollah.

Asked whether that amounted to caving in to pressure from Hezbollah, Johndroe said it was "premature" to judge any deals to end the violence but stressed that "there's short-term solutions and there's longer-term solutions."

"And ultimately the longer-term solution is that Hezbollah has a choice to make: be a political party or be a terrorist organization -- but quit trying to be both," he told reporters.

The takeover of west Beirut was a dramatic display of Hezbollah's military might and capacity to impose its will against the government of pro-Western Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

The army urged all armed militants off the streets in a bid to end the violence, which also forced the closure of Lebanon's only civilian airport and Beirut port.

"We're pleased the Lebanese armed forces are out and under the authority of the Lebanese government and Prime Minister Siniora, trying to restore order in the streets. We hope to see that trend continue," said Johndroe.