Lebanon's Government Falls

[Casino67]

WSJ:

BEIRUT—Lebanon's national unity government has collapsed after Hezbollah ministers and their allies resigned over a United Nations-backed tribunal investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The state-run National News Agency said Wednesday that 11 ministers were stepping down from the 30-member Cabinet headed by Western-backed Saad Hariri, the slain prime minister's son.

Hezbollah needed the backing of more than a third of the ministers to bring down the government.

The tribunal is widely expected to name members of Hezbollah in upcoming indictments, which many fear could re-ignite hostilities between Lebanon's rival Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

The Netherlands-based tribunal hasn't said who it will indict, but Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has said he has information that members of his group will be named.

Hezbollah has denounced the tribunal as an "Israeli project" and urged Western-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri—the son of the slain leader—to reject any findings by the court.

But the prime minister has refused to break cooperation with the tribunal.

The ministers had demanded that Mr. Hariri convene an urgent cabinet meeting over the tribunal, Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalifeh said on Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV.

A senior official in Mr. Hariri's Future Movement, Mustafa Alloush, said Mr. Hariri wouldn't succumb to "pressure and ultimatums."


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I haven't really been following this, but didn't Barry just give his support to the current government? He is the kiss of death, oops, got to tone that down. The kiss of non-continuing to remain in effect.

Does this mean another war in the area?