LEBANON: Security is tightened in Beirut as anti-government protests continue, Prime Minister Siniora meets religoius leaders offering their support.

Lebanon's army deployed more soldiers in Beirut on Monday (December 4) after the killing of a pro-Syrian Shi'ite Muslim demonstrator raised fears anti-government protests could turn into sectarian violence. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa warned the crisis could worsen and indicated he had discussed ideas for a solution with Lebanese officials during a 24-hour visit to Beirut. "I am worried about the current situation in Lebanon, I should not worry about the future if we all work to save the situation today. I'm sure the Lebanese people with the industrious richness can always surmount to any of those obstacles, provided that we all help them and that they decide to help themselves. Lebanon should not be divided," Moussa said after meeting with Lebanese President Emil Lahoud. Lebanese Prime Minister Foaud Siniora is still receiving solidarity visits from religious and political figures who frequent the prime ministry to support the government. Secretary general of Amnesty International Irene Khan and Jordanian foreign minister Abdulelah al Khatib also met with Siniora on Monday to offer help in solving the crisis. Siniora has been at the prime ministry since the protest started last Friday (December 1), opposition protesters have been surrounding the building throughout the past four days. Khan said that the peaceful demonstration is only an extension of the Lebanese democracy and hopes that a resolution to this political crisis will appear before it translates into violence. "We also discussed what is happening now in the streets of Beirut and we see this as a positive expression of people's freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and we hope that this protest will continue in a peaceful way and that all political leaders from all sides will behave with responsibility to ensure that political differences don't move into political violence that could lead to human rights abuses," Khan said. The Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, and its allies in the opposition had taken to the streets and were holding an indefinite sit-in to force the resignation of Western-backed Sunni Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Fears grew on Monday that the anti-government protests could turn into sectarian violence after an anti-government Shi'ite Muslim protester was shot dead in a Sunni district of Beirut. A van carrying protesters was stoned as it drove through Qasqas on Sunday. The army broke up the crowd, but later on a Shi'ite protester was shot dead by unknown gunmen in a Sunni district. The army was deployed in the area and was investigating the shooting. "The reason behind the killing is known they are people who love blood, problems, and they do not like the country to stay calm because they benefit from this, they are traders, they sit up in the mountains, they are traders of blood, they make money out of this," said Ali Mahmoud, a relative of the dead man. Many politicians and observers had warned that the crisis could spill over into sectarian strife in a country that had gone through two civil wars in the last century. Khan is on a three day trip to Lebanon and is due to meet President Emil Lahoud later on Monday.

ITN Source | December 5, 2006

Tags:. .crowd. .district. .surrounding. .civil. .abuses