Lebanon Struggles to Defuse Crisis

That statement followed an announcement by Siniora turning the resolution of those two issues over to the military and calling for the immediate election of Gen. Michel Suleiman as consensus president and the withdrawal of fighters from the streets. Siniora called for the creation of a national unity government.

Soon after Siniora's remarks, Ali Hassan Khalil, a lawmaker from Amal, a Hezbollah ally, said the opposition will withdraw its gunmen from Beirut and turn over responsibility to the army while maintaining civil disobedience. Khalil accused the Siniora government of "carrying out a coup against the constitution."

In a separate news conference, Walid Jumblatt, leader of a pro-government party, said he is willing to accept a compromise with the Hezbollah-led opposition to prevent sectarian division in the country.

"This is not a humiliating compromise," Jumblatt said. "We prevented inter-factional clashes in Beirut and in the mountains, and we would prevent them throughout Lebanon."

Earlier Saturday, several hundred journalists gathered in the Tabaris area of Beirut to protest threats against a television network that had prompted it to temporarily suspend broadcasting.

"We are here not in support of Future TV only, but in support of the free word," said May Shidiak, a prominent TV personality.

Information Minister Ghazi Aridi joined the demonstrators and called on the army to play its role providing protection for journalists.