Army takes control, calm prevails in capital Beirut

Source: Al-Manar, 10-05-2008
Three people have been killed and 20 others injured Saturday during a funeral in the Shatila region in Beirut. There were no details available on the incident. Moreover, five people were killed in clashes in the northern city of Halba, when Mustakbal militiamen attacked one of the offices of the Syrian Nationalist Socialist Party.
Mustakbal militiamen also cut the road leading to the Masnaa area near the border with Syria. In northern Lebanon Mustakbal gunmen set an office for the Baath party on fire. There were no reports on casualties.
However, calm returned to Beirut on Saturday with Lebanese army taking control of its areas, after Mustakbal militiamen laid down their arms and surrendered their offices. There was no appearance of armed men from the opposition in any of Beirut's streets.
Indeed, residents breathed a sigh and businesses opened Saturday. Traffic and the sound of car horns also resumed in neighborhoods that had been largely deserted since Thursday, and cleaning crews cleared the debris from streets.
Handing over Mustakbal and Progressive Socialist Party offices also continued Saturday in the southern city of Sidon, Bshamoun, Aramoun, Khaldeh, Naimeh. Al-Mustkbal militia was also negotiating with the army to surrender their offices in Barja, Baassir in the Couf area, and Dawood Ali in Sidon.
In the same context, some members of Al-Mustakbal militia surrendered their offices in the Fakiha region in the northern Bekaa as well as Kherbet Rouha village in Eastern Bekaa. They also handed over some of their offices in Jeb-Jennine and Manara towns in western Bekaa. And in Shebaa, the Mustakbal militia handed over its offices to the Annour Muslim Religious Trust, (Wakf Annour).
In the North, Lebanese army reopened the Halba-Akkar main road that was cut by Al-Mustakbal militia, in protest to the Beirut incidents.
In Mount Lebanon, the PSP militia handed over the (8-8-8 Hill) to the Lebanese army. The Lebanese Democratic Party headed by former minister Talal Areslan, declared that the party leadership was working responsibly to maintain calm and prevent bloodshed. The party said in a statement that Areslan received on Friday evening a call from PSP chief MP Walid Jumblatt to discuss the situation. The PSP had earlier surrendered the Kfarheem office to the army, upon direct orders by Jumblatt.
Mustakbal militiamen opened fire in Aramoun on a car carrying four members of Areslan's party killing two of them and injuring the other two.
Beirut returned to calm and the Mustakbal party is breaking down after it was abandoned by its allies. 'Israel' expressed deep concern about the developments in Lebanon and the US found no other way to support the remainder of its allies, but rhetoric.
However, according to the opposition, any change in the situation depends on withdrawing the latest decisions by Saniora's unconstitutional government and dialogue. Otherwise, the status quo on the ground will not get better.
So far, the weakening ruling bloc has refused dialogue.