(AFP) – May 21, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States welcomed Wednesday's deal to end an 18-month deadly feud between Lebanon's pro-Western government and the Iranian-backed opposition, but warned the crisis was not over yet.

"The United States welcomes the agreement reached by Lebanese leaders in Doha, Qatar," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a statement, as she renewed support for the central government to extend its authority nationwide.

"We view this agreement as a positive step towards resolving the current crisis by electing a president, forming a new government, and addressing Lebanon's electoral law, consistent with the Arab League initiative."

Under Arab League auspices, rival Lebanese leaders clinched a deal on Wednesday to end the political feud that exploded into deadly sectarian fighting May 5 and nearly drove the country into a new civil war.

The agreement, announced after days of tense talks in Doha, will see the election of a president for Lebanon within days and the creation of a unity government in which the Hezbollah-led opposition will have the power of veto.

Lebanese lawmakers will gather on Sunday to elect army chief Michel Sleiman president following the deal, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Fuad Siniora told AFP in Beirut.

The deal calls for fresh negotiations to allow the Western-backed Lebanese government to extend its authority throughout the country after the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah used its weapons to seize much of west Beirut.

David Welch, the assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, echoed Rice's points in a press briefing earlier and suggested the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah may have shot itself in the foot, even if it has made some political gains.

"Yes, because there is a blocking minority, the (Hezbollah-led) minority is able to block major decisions if they chose to do so," Welch said.

"Some have argued that they are accomplishing political objectives by intimidation and violence," he said.

But he added that the average Lebanese "reacted very badly to that," suggesting Hezbollah had undermined its political standing not only in Lebanon but with other Arab countries, which are dominated by Sunni Muslims.

And he added that Hezbollah's use of violence "is deeply disturbing."

Welch said the Doha agreement also re-emphasized UN Security Council resolutions calling for the disarmament of Hezbollah and extending the writ of the central government.

The deal is a "setback for the Hezbollahis because now it has been inscribed again on the national agenda with some prominence that something's got to be done about this" bid to establish central government authority, he said.

But he admitted the Lebanese still have "very delicate political" issues to resolve.

"This is not the end of this crisis. Lebanon still has to go through implementing this agreement," Welch said.

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