Lebanon’s fractious coalition government collapsed Wednesday following the resignation of ministers representing the parliamentary opposition headed by the militant Shiite group, Hezbollah.
The dramatic move appears to herald a new escalation in the political drama over a six-year international investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The decision by the Hezbollah-led opposition to leave the government follows the declared failure of a five-month mediation effort by Syria and Saudi Arabia, both of which have influence in this tiny but volatile Mediterranean country, to help resolve Lebanon’s political deadlock.
Full story: Hezbollah-led pullout brings down Lebanon’s government