Embattled Lebanese PM seeks foreign aid boost
Source: Reuters
By Tom Perry BEIRUT, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Lebanon's government expects billions of dollars of foreign assistance at a Paris aid conference on Thursday as it tries to fend off a Hezbollah-led challenge that caused violent protests paralysing the country. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora left for Paris on Wednesday, a day after the protests against his Western-backed government shut down much of Lebanon and sparked its worst unrest since the 1975-1990 civil war. Three people were killed and 176 wounded. Hezbollah and its allies, including Christian leader Michel Aoun, want veto power in government and early parliamentary elections to remove what they call a U.S. cabinet in Lebanon. The opposition late on Tuesday lifted country-wide roadblocks but threatened "more effective" measures if the government refused to meet its demands. The Beirut ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, which supports Siniora, and Iran, a backer of Hezbollah, were in contact with various political leaders on Tuesday to try to defuse the crisis, a political source said. Senior Saudi diplomat Prince Bandar had travelled to Tehran to discuss Lebanon, the source said. An Iranian envoy visited Riyadh earlier this month as well as Syria, a key player in Lebanon. Lebanese newspapers carried frontpage photos of black smoke billowing from tyres set ablaze at opposition roadblocks. "Black Tuesday: Hezbollah's state besieges Lebanon," declared the pro-government Al-Mustaqbal newspaper. The pro-opposition Al-Akhbar newspaper said: "The opposition paralyses the country: a final warning to the government." SINIORA SEEKS SUPPORT IN PARIS Traffic in Beirut surged back to normal on Wednesday, although the city centre was still blocked by a protest the opposition has been holding there since Dec. 1. The main road to Beirut airport, closed on Tuesday, was open and flights were running as normal, an airport official said. Siniora on Tuesday vowed to stand firm against "intimidation". He had postponed his trip to Paris by a day because of the protests. French President Jacques Chirac said demonstrations could discourage international donors. Siniora's government hopes for political backing from his foreign allies and up to $5 billion in assistance to help ease the burden of Lebanon's $40.5 billion public debt -- equal to 180 percent of gross domestic product. The government also wants financial aid to help cover the costs of the July-August war between Hezbollah and Israel, which crippled the economy. The political support of foreign allies is also important for his government, Lebanese political analyst Sami Baroudi said. "The prime minister and his team have to show that they have the confidence of the outside world," he said. The United States, which has repeatedly stated its backing for Siniora, has promised substantial assistance to Lebanon at the conference. It has accused Hezbollah of trying to launch a coup against Siniora's cabinet, which came to office after the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005. (Additional reporting by Nadim Ladki)
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