Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Hezbollah-Backed PM Working to Form New Government

   VOA News  January 27, 2011
   Lebanese Prime Minister designate Najib Mikati

   Lebanese Prime Minister designate Najib Mikati

   Lebanon's  incoming  Hezbollah-backed prime minister has begun working
   to form a new government.
   Prime   Minister-designate  Najib  Mikati  held  talks  Thursday  with
   political  leaders, and said he would form a cabinet of technocrats if
   the  party  of  former  Prime Minister Saad Hariri refused to join the
   government.
   Mikati has said he wants to include all parties in his cabinet. Hariri
   said  earlier this week he would not participate in any government led
   by a Hezbollah-backed candidate.
   On  Wednesday, Mikati promised to forge good relations with the United
   States  and  declared  he  would  seek  consensus  on  dealing  with a
   U.N.-backed   tribunal   that  triggered  the  fall  of  the  previous
   government.
   He  also  said  his  government  will maintain good relations with the
   international  community  and  with all Arab nations, and that Lebanon
   "cannot afford to have an enemy."
   Mikati   faces   enormous   pressure   to  denounce  the  tribunal.  A
   still-secret  indictment  issued  last  week  is  expected  to  accuse
   Hezbollah  members  of involvement in the 2005 assassination of former
   prime  minister  Rafik  Hariri, father of outgoing prime minister Saad
   Hariri.  Hezbollah, which wants Lebanon to cut ties with the tribunal,
   denies any role in the killing.
   The  Shi'ite  militant  group  and  its  allies resigned from Hariri's
   Western-backed  coalition  Cabinet  earlier  this month, causing it to
   collapse.
   The  United  States is reconsidering economic and military support for
   Lebanon  after Hezbollah won a prominent role in the government of the
   fragile, religiously-divided nation.
   Secretary   of   State   Hillary   Clinton   said   Tuesday   that   a
   Hezbollah-dominated  government  would  affect the country's relations
   with the U.S., which views the Iranian- and Syrian-backed militia as a
   terrorist  organization.  The  United  States  has  imposed  sanctions
   against the group and its members, with whom U.S. officials are barred
   from meeting.
   The  White  House  Tuesday  accused  the Shi'ite Muslim group of using
   "coercion,  intimidation  and  threats  of  violence"  to  achieve its
   political  ends and said the new government must abide by the Lebanese
   constitution and renounce violence.
   The U.S. increased assistance to Lebanon's military after its 2006 war
   with Israel. Lebanon has a long history of sectarian militias, and the
   U.S.  had  planned  to  help professionalize the army and diminish the
   influence  of Hezbollah's forces. Analysts say these goals likely will
   be harder to achieve under a Hezbollah-dominated government.
   Thousands  of Hariri's angry supporters took to the streets Tuesday in
   several cities, where they shouted their loyalty to the former leader.
   Some  protesters  said  they  would  not  allow Lebanon to go down "an
   Iranian path," a reference to Tehran's support for Hezbollah.

   Â

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
   NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on [1]Twitter
   and discuss them on our [2]Facebook page.

References

   1. http://twitter.com/VOAMidEast
   2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667?    v=wall

.