Lebanon cancels anti-Hezbollah measures

By Yara Bayoumy

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's government cancelled measures on Wednesday that angered the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement and triggered the worst internal conflict since the country's 1975-90 civil war.

The U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said in a statement after a meeting that it was taking the step in line with a request by the Lebanese army to preserve civil peace and promote an Arab League mediation effort to end Lebanon's 18-month-old political crisis.

"The cabinet decided to agree on the suggestion of the army commander... which includes the cancellation of the two decisions," the statement, read by Information Minister Ghazi al-Aridi, said.

Shortly after Aridi read the statement Hezbollah supporters fired into the air in a Beirut suburb to celebrate what the group sees as a major blow to the government and its allies.

Rescinding the ban on Hezbollah's communications network and the sacking of Beirut airport's security chief, who is close to the group, were two of Hezbollah's demands to lift its blockade of the airport and its campaign of civil disobedience.

It is also a first step towards easing the broader standoff between Siniora's government and opposition forces that has left Lebanon without a president since November.

At least 81 people have been killed since violence broke out on May 7 following the cabinet decisions against Hezbollah, which routed its rivals in six days of fighting and briefly seized control of parts of Beirut.

U.S. President George W. Bush, in Jerusalem to celebrate the anniversary of Israel's founding in 1948, accused Iran on Wednesday of using the Islamist Shi'ite Hezbollah to destabilise Lebanon. He said: "This is an Iranian effort to destabilise their young democracy."