Mussa leaves Lebanon empty-handed, warns against escalation

Dec 23, 2006, 12:40 GMT

Beirut - Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa warned Saturday of further escalation in Beirut at the conclusion of his of mediation talks with Lebanese leaders.

While there was presently no danger of civil war, the situation could easily come to a head, Mussa warned. Now was the time for both parties to approach each other.

'I cannot say that the Arab initiative has failed nor that it is successful,' he said about his mission to forge reconciliation between the anti-Syrian government and the pro-Syrian opposition.

Mussa said he saw a 50-50 chance of a compromise between the opposing camps and that he would return to Beirut after Christmas.

The Arab League chief had held talks in Beirut on Friday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Future party leader Saad Hariri, key players in the anti-Syrian government, and then extended his visit until Saturday.

Mussa decided to extend his stay a further day in order to continue his talks with opposition leaders, aimed at reconciliation after weeks of political standoff in Lebanon.

Lebanon's political scene has been in a state of paralysis since December 1, when thousands of opposition protesters organised by the pro-Syrian Hezbollah began a mass sit-in at two main squares in downtown Beirut in a bid bring down the Seniora government and force a national unity government that includes opposition groups.

During his mediation mission, Mussa also went to Damascus where he met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem to gain support for his efforts to forge a reconciliation agreement in Lebanon.