Lebanese Government Faces Upheaval with Prime Minister’s Resignation

The resignation on Friday of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati portends political upheaval, again testing the strength of the Hizbullah terrorist organization’s hold on the government. The resignation comes three months before scheduled elections. A ministerial committee debating the extension of the term of a security official and plans to create an oversight committee for the upcoming elections has been deadlocked because of Hizbullah opposition to both issues. The security official, who is Sunni, is said not to be trusted by the Shiite Hizbullah. Mikati, who is also Sunni, was brought to power by Hizbullah, but the Iranian/Syrian proxy group has cooled on Mikati because of his refusal to support Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, as does Hizbullah. Assad’s civil war has spilled-over into Lebanon, causing a number of key issues for Syria’s neighbor. Meanwhile, fierce battles between pro- and anti-Assad Lebanese erupted in the city of Tripoli on Saturday night, making short work of a one-day ceasefire that had been declared. At least seven deaths have been reported in the latest round of fighting that began last Thursday.