Saniora Accuses Nasrallah of Coup Threat

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora waves to hundreds of supporters at his heavily fortified office complex where he has been holed up since the opposition launched street protests on Dec. 1 to bring down his government, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Friday Dec. 8, 2006. Saniora sharply denounced Hezbollah and its leader on Friday, a day after the guerrilla group's chief launched a scathing attack against the U.S.-backed government, promising to eventually bring it down. (AP Photo/Ahmad Omar) (Ahmad Omar - AP)

On Friday, Hezbollah protesters in the square near Saniora's office released red, white and green balloons _ the colors of the Lebanese flag _ bearing the words "Saniora, out."

Elsewhere in central Beirut, the spiritual leader of Lebanon's Sunnis backed the government and told worshippers Hezbollah's demands would not be met.

"Bringing down the government and prime minister in the street is a red line which we will never allow," Sheik Mohammed Rashid Kabbani said in a sermon at a Sunni mosque.

But another Sunni cleric, Fathi Yakan, who supports Hezbollah, led opposition protesters in prayer in a city square.

"Your sit-in today, with God's help, will defeat the American project," Yakan said, accusing the U.S. of sowing division between Shiites and Sunnis in the Islamic world.

On Thursday, Nasrallah said government officials had asked American envoys to persuade Israel to destroy Hezbollah and claimed that Saniora had ordered the Lebanese army to deprive Hezbollah of weapons.

"Didn't the prime minister of Lebanon work to cut off the supply lines?" Nasrallah asked.

The Lebanese army said Friday that it had received no such orders from the government during the 34-day war, but that troops did confiscate Hezbollah ammunition at one checkpoint.

Hezbollah replied by saying the troops would not have seized the ammunition without a "political decision" and that the army was telling only "half the truth."

Despite the exchange, both leaders have stressed they are willing to negotiate.

"Our hand and heart is open," Saniora said Friday. "We won't dig trenches in Beirut streets, we will build bridges of love among the Lebanese, Christian and Muslim."

Nasrallah and Saniora have welcomed this week's proposal by Lebanon's Maronite Catholic Church to form a new government and hold early presidential elections, saying it could serve as the basis for a settlement.

President Emile Lahoud, a staunch pro-Syrian, has refused to resign. He issued a statement Friday that praised Nasrallah's speech as carrying "responsible and clear positions."