Hezbollah Pulling Gunmen From Beirut

Hezbollah began withdrawing gunmen today from Beirut after winning concessions from the Lebanese army to overturn the government measures that sparked days of fierce fighting. The army, a neutral player in the ongoing struggle between the insurgent political group and the Western-backed government, said it would reinstate Beirut airport’s security chief and would maintain Hezbollah’s military communications network, Reuters reports.

Despite the deal, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora remained defiant, saying, “Hezbollah must realize that force of arms will not scare us or make us retreat.” Thirty-seven people have been killed and at least 100 wounded in the 4 days since fighting erupted, and the US says it will work with foreign powers to punish “those responsible for the violence.” (More Lebanon stories.)