DOHA (Reuters) – Rival Lebanese leaders flew to Qatar on Friday aiming to end a protracted political conflict that has pushed the country to the brink of a new civil war.Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani was due to open the talks in a Doha hotel at 9:00 pm (1800 GMT). "Let us deal with matters calmly at the dialogue table. Each one of us and them must offer concessions to bury strife," Walid Jumblatt said during a tour of Druze villages. We are going to the dialogue with a great political wound," said Jumblatt, who later flew to Doha in a Qatar Airways plane along with both his allies and rivals. Lebanese forces leader Samir Geagea, former president Amin Gemayel and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt of the ruling coalition boarded a Qatari aircraft along with opposition member and parliament speaker Nabih Berri and the Free Patriotic leader Michel Aoun. The leader of the militant Shiite Hezbollah movement Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah did not go to Qatar, apparently for security reasons, but was to be represented by Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad.
Arab mediators, led by the Qatari prime minister, concluded a deal on Thursday to end the fighting which killed 81 people and exacerbated sectarian tensions between Shi’ites loyal to Hezbollah and Druze and Sunni followers of the ruling coalition. "We are going to Doha …. to come back, God willing, with an agreement that will allow Lebanese to look forward, benefiting from the past and its bitter experience," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said before leaving for Qatar.In another concession to the opposition, the ruling coalition also appears to have dropped its demands that the election of a new president precede discussions on a new cabinet and a new parliamentary election law — the two main issues on the agenda of the Qatar talks. "The atmosphere is excellent and we will put our efforts into reaching a solution which is in the interest of all Lebanese," parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an opposition leader allied to Syria, told as-Safir.
The feuding Lebanese politicians agreed on Thursday to launch a dialogue as part of a six-point plan, following Arab League mediation led by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani. Under the deal the rivals undertook "to shore up the authority of the Lebanese state throughout the country," to refrain from using weapons to further political aims and to remove militants from the streets. It also called for the removal of roadblocks that paralysed air traffic and closed major highways, and for the rivals to refrain from using language that could incite violence. Life began returning to normal in Beirut on Friday as the port, businesses and many schools reopened. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told Beirut’s pro-opposition daily As-Safir that "Syria supports the agreement." He called it "a real opportunity to save Lebanon from the dangers it faces," but warned against "international interference that could have negative impacts." Lebanon’s pro-government daily An-Nahar described the deal as "an achievement bordering on a miracle," although the country still remained on the brink. "Beirut’s streets and airport returned to what they were before May 5, but this return does not mean the retreat of the explosive political situation." The pro-opposition newspaper Al-Akhbar said: "Those going to Doha today carry an immense patriotic duty in their hands. "Lebanon will be relieved of its leaders for a few days, but people are still worried about picking up the pieces of their lives as they are still under threat in the event the Doha meeting fails to bring a comprehensive solution." A group of disabled people, some bearing injuries from Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, gathered on the Beirut airport road bearing signs for the leaders: "If you don’t agree, don’t come back."
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Lebanon’s pro-government Druze leader Walid Jumblatt (L) and Muslim Sunni leader Mohammed Safadi (C) arrive for a meeting in Doha May 16, 2008. Qatar’s emir formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders which aim to resolve a protracted political conflict that has pushed their country to the brink of a new civil war. REUTERS/ Fadi al-Assaad (QATAR)
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Lebanon’s Christian leaders Michel al-Murr (L) and Ghassan Toweiny arrive for a meeting in Doha May 16, 2008. Qatar’s emir formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders which aim to resolve a protracted political conflict that has pushed their country to the brink of a new civil war. REUTERS/ Fadi al-Assaad (QATAR)
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Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa (L), Lebanon’s pro-government Christian leader Samir Geagea (C) and opposition Shi’ite Ali Hassan Khalil (R) arrive for a meeting in Doha May 16, 2008. Qatar’s emir formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders which aim to resolve a protracted political conflict that has pushed their country to the brink of a new civil war. REUTERS/ Fadi al-Assaad (QATAR)
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Lebanese Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun (R) arrives to attend a meeting between rival leaders in Doha May 16, 2008. Qatar’s emir formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders which aim to resolve a protracted political conflict that has pushed their country to the brink of a new civil war. REUTERS/ Fadi al-Assaad (QATAR)
Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani(2ndL)chats with Lebanese Parliament house speaker Nabih Berri(2ndR) Christian leader Michel Aoun (R) and Hezbollah Siniore official Mohammed Raad (L) on their first meeting in Doha May 16, 2008. REUTERS/ Fadi al-Assaad (LEBANON)
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Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (C) walks with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora (L) and Parliament House Speaker Nabih Berri (R) on their first meeting in Doha May 16, 2008. REUTERS/ Fadi al-Assaad (QATAR)
Lebanese Parliament majority leader Saad al-Hariri attends a meeting between rival Lebanese leaders in Doha May 16, 2008. Qatar’s emir formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders which aim to resolve a protracted political conflict that has pushed their country to the brink of a new civil war. REUTERS/Fadi al-Assaad (QATAR)
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Pro-government Lebanese Christian leader Samir Geagea (R), Druze leader Walid Jumblatt (2nd R) and parliament majority leader Saad al-Hariri (L) attend meeting in Doha May 16, 2008. Qatar’s emir formally opened talks on Friday between rival Lebanese leaders which aim to resolve a protracted political conflict that has pushed their country to the brink of a new civil war. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi (QATAR)
Lebanese opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun (L) talks to Samir Geagea, leader of the pro-government Lebanese Forces group, at Beirut airport while waiting to fly to Qatar May 16, 2008. Rival Lebanese leaders
Lebanese students sit in a classrooom at a school in Beirut one day after roadblocks were lifted from the capital ending a week of bloody violence. Lebanon‘s squabbling political leaders headed to Qatar on Friday for Arab-brokered talks aimed at ending a long-running feud that drove the country to the brink of a new civil war.(AFP/Hassan Ammar)
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Druze religious chief Sheikh Naim Hassan (R) speaks with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt (C) during the latter’s visit at the village of Baysur in Mount Lebanon. Lebanon‘s squabbling political leaders headed to Qatar on Friday for Arab-brokered talks aimed at ending a long-running feud that drove the country to the brink of a new civil war.(AFP/Hassan Ammar)
Lebanese enjoy a morning coffee at Starbucks cafe in Beirut. Lebanon‘s squabbling political leaders headed to Qatar on Friday for Arab-brokered talks aimed at ending a long-running feud that drove the country to the brink of a new civil war.(AFP)
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Samir Geagea, leader of the right wing Lebanese Forces (LF) political party talks to the media, prior to departing to Qatar for talks, at Beirut International airport, Lebanon, Friday, May 16, 2008. Feuding Lebanese factions agreed to hold political talks in Qatar on Friday that will lead to the election of Lebanon‘s army chief, Gen. Michel Suleiman, as a compromise president, said Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, who headed an Arab League team that mediated the agreement. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
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Protesters from the Lebanese Association for the disabled, hold banners, outside Beirut International airport, Lebanon, Friday, May 16, 2008. Feuding Lebanese factions agreed to hold political talks in Qatar on Friday that will lead to the election of Lebanon‘s army chief, Gen. Michel Suleiman, as a compromise president, said Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, who headed an Arab League team that mediated the agreement. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora (C) speaks with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa as Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani is seen standing on the left at Beirut’s governmental palace on May 14. Lebanon‘s squabbling political leaders are to meet in Qatar for talks brokered by the Arab League aimed at ending a long-running feud.(AFP/File/Anwar Amro)
A Lebanese man sits under posters of Imam Moussa al-Sadr, upper right, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Shiite aligned with the opposition, upper left, and Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, center, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, May 16, 2008. For three years, Sunni Muslims have dominated Lebanon‘s government. Now they are bitter and fearful after Hezbollah’s seizure of parts of Beirut in street gunbattles, an ominous sign of how the country’s latest political crisis has sharply worsened sectarian tensions. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Lebanese wheelchair-bound war veterans gather on airport road in Beirut during a demonstration May 16, 2008. The demonstrators are holding banners addressed to Lebanese politicians participating in the dialogue in Qatar that read, "If you won
