BEIRUT — Lebanese factions took another major step toward calming a flare-up of sectarian and political violence by agreeing Thursday to immediately resume long-stalled talks on a new government.
The deal, brokered by a visiting delegation of Arab League diplomats, appeared to be a victory for the Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah, which leads opposition to the U.S.-backed government and the so-called March 14 movement behind it. Hezbollah fighters occupied parts of Beirut last week, forcing concessions from the administration of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
"Politically, it's obvious that the opposition won the first round," said Karim Makdisi, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. "March 14 is in a state of strategic retreat," he said. "They will come back, but they recognize that they lost for now."
For decades, Lebanon's Christians, Druze, Shiites and Sunni Muslims, along with foreign governments supporting the factions, have jostled for power over this mountainous Mediterranean country. A 1975-90 civil war devastated the nation, and the end of an occupation by Syrian troops in 2005 merely invigorated the domestic political fight.
Last week's fighting, which pushed the country toward another civil war, was triggered by a government decision to target Hezbollah's intelligence and communications networks. Hezbollah briefly occupied West Beirut and firefights broke out throughout the country.
The government rescinded the decisions late Wednesday, setting the stage for Thursday's deal.
After the announcement, bulldozers began removing piles of debris set up last week by Hezbollah supporters to block major roadways, including those leading to the country's sole international airport. Lebanon's Middle East Airlines announced that it would resume regular commercial flights.
As part of the deal, Lebanon's feuding pro-Western and Iranian-backed camps agreed to meet today in the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar.
Top agenda items include a new election law and the composition of a new Cabinet. Both were issues that Hezbollah had demanded be resolved before it and its allies would agree on naming a new president and ending an 18-month civil disobedience campaign that has shut down the capital's glittery downtown and paralyzed the government.
