Hezbollah welcomes Lebanon deal

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

BEIRUT (AFP) — Hezbollah deputy secretary general Naim Qassem on Friday welcomed as an "important achievement" a breakthrough deal reached by rival Lebanese political factions to end the country's crisis.

"This accord is an important achievement for all the Lebanese and a key step toward ending a difficult phase that lasted for 18 months," Qassem told the Shiite militant group's radio station Al-Nour.

He added that he wished the deal had been reached more than a year ago.

Qassem said the next challenge for the Western-backed ruling bloc and the Hezbollah-led opposition backed by Syria and Iran will be the formation of a national unity government.

"If both sides are positive, we can form a national unity government and find solutions to everything,"...