Beirut
Hezbollah takes capitalThousands of Hezbollah supporters shut down Beirut this week, blocking roads with heaps of burning tires and brawling with government supporters. Two people were killed and dozens wounded. Soldiers and police stood by in riot gear but did not intervene. Hezbollah, a militant Shiite party backed by Syria and Iran, has been threatening to bring down the U.S.-supported government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a Sunni. It said it put up the roadblocks because two months of peaceful sit-ins had failed to bring the government to negotiations. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said his group wants a big enough share of Cabinet posts to wield veto power in the government.
