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Lebanon Under Emergency Rule

Posted Nov 23, 07 5:15 PM CST in World 

(Newser) – Lebanon teetered on the brink of chaos tonight as its president declared a state of emergency just hours before his term expired and transferred power to the military. The outgoing Emile Lahoud refused to give power to his rival, PM Fouad Siniora, who immediately rejected the legality of Lahoud's move, the Guardian reports.

The nation will be without a head of state because parliament, split along pro- and anti-Syrian factions, could not elect one. Observers fear the power vacuum will lead to renewed violence, the Guardian notes. Lahoud's statement instructed the military to "preserve security," and troops were in the streets. The US urged both sides to avoid violence.
Source: Guardian (UK)

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In this photo released by Lebanon's official news agency, the Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, center, poses with the army commander, Gen. Michel Suleiman, second left, and other officers at the presidential...   (Associated Press)
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, right, shakes hands with Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman, left, at the Presidential palace in the Baabda suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, in this picture taken on Thursday...   (Associated Press)
Lebanese soldiers sit on an armored personnel carrier as they secure the area in Beirut, Lebanon Friday, Nov. 23, 2007. President Emile Lahoud said Friday that Lebanon is in a "state of emergency" and...   (Associated Press)
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, looks on during a meeting with his cabinet ministers at the Lebanese government house, after the session to elect a new president was postponed for a week until Nov....   (Associated Press)
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