The general strike in Lebanon was called off late Tuesday night by the nation's Hizbullah-led opposition, easing tension and clashes which led to the death of three and more then 130 wounded.
All roads that were blocked were reopened for traffic Wednesday as shops, banks and other businesses resumed normal work.
The strike, called against the Lebanese government on Tuesday in an attempt to unseat Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, led to nationwide protests that paralyzed the country, according to the Daily Star. By the day's end, Beirut was engulfed in the smoke of blazing tire barricades set up at all main routes into Beirut.
Despite relief from the lifting of the paralyzing strike, the opposition warned that Tuesday's chaos had merely been a "warning," and that further steps would ensue if the Siniora government failed to meet demands of the protesters.
"This was a warning to the government," said Hizbullah MP Amin Cherri, reading a joint opposition statement. "The government has to respond to our demands, and if doesn't, then it should expect even greater escalation, far worse than today's," Cherri added.
Siniora flew early Wednesday to Paris to attend a major donors' conference, officials told AFP. More than 30 donor countries in addition to international institutions are due to attend the Paris III aid conference expected to be held on Thursday to secure long-term financing for Lebanon's ailing economy.
© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
