Blair runs into protests, snubs on Lebanon visit

Reuters

September 10, 2006

BEIRUT - About 2,000 Lebanese protested against British Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit to Beirut on Monday, accusing him of backing Israel's 34-day war with Hizbollah, and several cabinet ministers refused to meet him.

"He was a party in the war," Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh, of the Shi'ite Muslim Amal movement, told Reuters. "He supported the U.S. position and did not call for a ceasefire...It is natural that we do not receive him."

Blair angered many Lebanese by his refusal to call for an early ceasefire in the conflict which killed nearly 1,200 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Two Hizbollah ministers also declined to attend Blair's talks with the Lebanese government, even though a spokesman for Blair said the British leader had been ready to meet them.

Blair had also been due to meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is the leader of Amal and a Hizbollah ally, but an aide to Berri said he had left on a private visit abroad.

Troops, riot police and barbed-wire barriers kept the demonstrators well away from the government building in downtown Beirut where Blair met Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.


"I'm standing here because Blair is the killer of Lebanese children," said Ibad Malak, a 19-year-old student.

Blair, the first British prime minister to visit Lebanon, was discussing with Siniora a U.N. truce in effect since August 14 and Britain's contribution to postwar reconstruction.

His spokesman said Britain had provided 22.3 million pounds ($41.6 million) in humanitarian aid and was giving another 20 million pounds to support U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon.

The British destroyer HMS York is also involved in efforts to patrol Lebanon's coast to enforce a U.N. arms embargo.

Blair wanted to show his support for Siniora and to discuss the full implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution that halted the fighting on August 14, his spokesman said.

ANTI-BLAIR PROTESTS

Some protesters held placards reading "Thank you Blair for delivering the intelligent bombs" -- referring to U.S. flights carrying bombs for Israel that refueled in Scotland during the war.

"Blair you killer, go to hell," read another placard.Security sources said about 2,000 people had turned out for the protests, organized by Hizbollah and its pro-Syrian allies.Top Shi'ite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said on Sunday Blair was not welcome because of his support for Israel and Washington.

He also criticized Blair for allowing U.S. arms to be shipped via Britain to Israel for use against Lebanon.Fadlallah said Blair should have been told to stay away so he would "know we are not so naive as to welcome him when he has contributed to killing us and slaughtering our children."

Blair began his Middle East tour in Israel on Saturday on a peace drive that analysts say is aimed partly at countering criticism of his pro-U.S. stance during the Lebanon war and partly at bolstering his political legacy.

Last week Blair was forced to concede he will leave office within a year to quell a rebellion in his Labour Party.Blair said on Sunday the international community should deal with a unity Palestinian government if it breaks with the policies of the boycotted Hamas-led administration.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said on Monday he hoped an announcement could be made soon on forming such a government after "positive" talks with President Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestinians hope creation of a unity coalition will lead to the lifting of Western sanctions imposed on the six-month-old Hamas government for refusing to recognize Israel.