Lebanon in political turmoil as govt collapses

BEIRUT — Lebanon was plunged into political turmoil on Thursday after Hezbollah toppled the government over a long-running dispute linked to a UN probe into the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.The hard-won unity government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri -- son of the slain leader -- collapsed on Wednesday after months of wrangling between the premier and Hezbollah over the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon.The move thrust the country into its worst political crisis since 2008 and sparked fears of sectarian Shiite-Sunni unrest.President Michel Sleiman asked the cabinet on Thursday to continue acting in a caretaker capacity as he prepares to launch consultations with parliamentary groups on appointing a new premier, which in line with tradition, must be a Sunni Muslim.Hariri is the country's most popular Sunni politicians but it was unclear whether he, or Hezbollah, would agree to his reappointment given the animosity between the two sides.The powerful Hezbollah and its allies withdrew from the government formed in November 2009 as Hariri was in Washington holding talks with US President Barack Obama on the crisis.The 40-year-old Hariri made no comment after the announcement and headed to France where he was to meet on Thursday with President Nicolas Sarkozy.For months, Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria, has been pressing the Western-backed Hariri to disavow the special tribunal saying it is part of a US-Israeli plot.According to unconfirmed press reports, the tribunal is poised to indict senior Hezbollah members in connection with Rafiq Hariri's 2005 assassination, a move the militant party vehemently rejects.An analyst on Thursday predicted a long drawn out crisis that could eventually spiral into violence."It's going to take many months, probably, to form a new government," said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre."On the downside, this could be the first step in a decline into other forms of tension," he told AFP."I don't think we have the making

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