Beirut airport now a Hezbollah 'strategic point'

May 14, 2008, 11:29 GMT

A general view of Beirut International Airport, Lebanon. EPA/NABIL MOUNZER

Beirut - The international airport in Lebanon's capital Beirut is now a 'strategic point' for the Hezbollah militant movement.

'The Beirut airport is now a headquarters and strategic point for us to put pressure on the Western-backed government of Premier Fouad Seniora and his traitors,' Ali, a Hezbollah militant, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa at the entrance to the airport.

The Rafik Hariri International Airport, which was reconstructed by assassinated former premier Hariri in the 1990s following its partial destruction during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, is today a major checkpoint for Hezbollah militants who are stopping airport employees and other people and checking identity cards.

Journalists going there to cover the arrival of an Arab League delegation on Wednesday were stopped and asked which agency or television station they worked for.

Politely but firmly the Hezbollah militants approached cars and asked: 'Please your press cards and identity cards?'

One journalist protested: 'I will give you my press card, but not my Lebanese identity card. For God's sake we are all Lebanese.'

Usually anyone checking identity cards in Lebanon can discover what religion a person belongs to.

Unarmed Hezbollah militants were sitting at road blocks, smoking water pipes or having breakfast, but guns could be seen in nearby cars.

The blockade of the airport road comes after the government decided to investigate a private telecommunications network run by Hezbollah at the airport and to reassign the head of airport security over his alleged ties with the pro-Iranian Shiite movement.

The blockade turned into clashes last Thursday after Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Narsallah called the government measure 'a declaration of war.' The violence in the streets since May 7 has left at least 82 people dead across Lebanon.

'This is a new demarcation line for the Lebanese people, they (the opposition) are saying they are doing this to protest the decision by the government, but government officials are not paying the price, the people are being punished here,' said an airport employee who requested anonymity for his safety.

'Yesterday as we were leaving work, the Hezbollah militants were doing a barbecue in the middle of the main highway leading to the airport,' he said.

'What I want to know are these the orders of the leader Hassan Nasrallah to oppress the people and use the country's streets to eat, smoke water pipes and play football?' he questioned.

'We are doing this because we want this American-backed government to resign,' said Hezbollah member Ali.

The blockade meant people were forced to walk to reach the airport or use motorbikes as a shuttle.

An Arab diplomat at the airport waiting to receive the Arab delegation told dpa that 'what I saw on my way to the airport is unacceptable.'

'This is not punishing the government of Lebanon, this is punishing the democracy of Lebanon,' the diplomat said.

The Arab delegation headed by Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa arrived on Wednesday in a bid to ease tensions in the country and head off a possible civil war.

'We will stay here blocking this road until the government backs on its decision against our movement and start taking decisions that serve the country and its resistance (Hezbollah),' said a Hezbollah militant.

The Lebanese government is scheduled to meet later Wednesday.

'If the government backs on its decision, we will open all roads immediately,' said a Hezbollah militant.

During the clashes in the past six days between the opposition led by Hezbollah and government followers, the Shiite militants managed to seize large parts of west Beirut, plunging an already fragile nation into fear and uncertainty.