Retreat

The Army is announcing that it will overturn the two government initiatives that started all of this. They will taken control of the probe into Hezbollah's communication network, and have agreed to maintain Gen. Wafiq Shqeir at his post as airport security chief, pending an investigation which, incidentally, has a predetermined result.

Hariri and Jumblatt are announcing that they accept the Army's decision. This is their way to walk back the confrontation, without actually taking an action which overturns their previous actions. How the people of West Beirut react to Hariri, after being left defenseless to Hezbollah's onslaught and then having the government promptly reverse itself, remains to be seen.

P.SAl-Manar is reporting that the opposition is refusing to end their "protest" until "all demands are met." And why shouldn't they? Did the government just think that, if they gave Hezbollah half of what they wanted, they would just go away?