Hezbollah Seizes Control of West Beirut, 11 Dead
By VOA News
09 May 2008
Hezbollah gunmen in Lebanon have seized control of west Beirut after clashes with fighters loyal to the country's Western-backed government left at least 11 people dead.
Fighters from the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah also forced the pro-government television station - Future Movement - off the air Friday and attacked an affiliated newspaper.
The station is owned by Saad al-Hariri, a leader of Lebanon's governing coalition. A rocket also slammed into the perimeter fence of his west Beirut home without causing injuries.
Authorities closed Beirut's port due to the violence.
Saudi Arabia, which backs Lebanon's government, called Friday for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the conflict.
Syria, which backs Hezbollah, has called the situation an internal Lebanese matter. Another Hezbollah supporter, Iran, has accused the United States and Israel of causing disorder by meddling in Lebanese affairs.
Italy says it is preparing an evacuation plan for its citizens in Beirut.
The fighting escalated Thursday after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called the Lebanese government's crackdown on his group a "declaration of war."
The United States and the United Nations have both expressed concern about the violence.
Lebanon has been in a political stalemate since last year, with the ruling coalition and the opposition unable to pick a new head of state and form a unity government.
Parliament is scheduled to vote next week, May 13, for the country's new president. It will be the 19th time parliament will try to vote for a successor to former pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, whose term expired in November.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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