Foreign Office advises against all travel to Lebanon

Hizbulklah's leader: Hassan Nasrallah

Friday, 09, May 2008 12:00

The Foreign Office had advised against all travel to Lebanon following the seizure of most of western Beirut by gunmen from the Shia militant group Hizbullah.

The advice comes as pro-government media offices are being shut down and Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon's top Sunni politician, urged gunmen from both sides to withdraw and "save Lebanon from hell".

After the third day of fighting, and with a total off 11 people killed, the Foreign Office has added Lebanon to its list of countries Britons should avoid all travel to, indicating the government considers Lebanon even more dangerous than Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Italian government is thought to be drawing up an evacuation plan for its citizens.

The current fighting began when the government attempted to close down Hizbullah's telecoms unit on Monday, a move that has now led to a successful and humiliating counter-attack by the Shia group.

Hizbullah fighters moved against media outlets owned by Saad al-Hariri – the son of murdered politician Rafik al-Hariri – besieging the Future News TV station, setting fire to the offices of al-Mustaqbal newspaper and silencing a radio station. A compromise has now been reached where the army can protect the buildings on the condition they do not resume broadcasting.

The actions carry ominous overtones of the Lebanon's bloody 1975-1990 civil war when the capital was divided by different military and religious factions, but analysts are hopeful the army's neutrality and absence of sectarian tension will prevent a return to that level of conflict.

The western-backed government, led by prime minister Fouad Siniora, has been unable to form a government since late 2007 when Hezbollah, who are widely thought to enjoy close ties with the Syrian government, objected to the make-up of the government.

The group – who are considered terrorists by America and the EU, -are widely credited with repelling the Israeli attack against Lebanon two years ago.