SHOTLIST

1. Arrival of convoy with Alexander Sultanov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister

2. Sultanov walking with officials

3. Pan from cameramen and photographers to Sultanov and Fawzi Salloukh, former Lebanese Foreign Minister

4. Mid of Sultanov

5. Mid of Salloukh

6. Wide of meeting

7. Cutaway cameramen

8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic), Alexander Sultanov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister:

"We discussed the international tribunal and other internal affairs. We agreed on the continuation of national dialogue, a dialogue of all the problems in Lebanon, because dialogue is the only way to save the national consensus and unity."

9. Cameramen

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fawzi Salloukh, former Lebanese Foreign Minister:

"Russia will take all necessary action to help and support in finding a solution to the problem."

11. Convoy leaving

12. Presidential palace

13. Sultanov at meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud

14. Mid of Lahoud

15. Mid of Sultanov

16. Exterior, Prime Minister's office building

17. Lebanese flag

18. Various of meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora

19. Exterior of Ein El-Tineh Palace

20. Various of meeting with parliament speaker, Nabih Berri

STORYLINE:

Envoys from Russia and the UN were involved in Beirut on Tuesday in what may be a last-ditch attempt to win approval from Lebanon's opposing camps for an international tribunal into the assassination of Lebanon's prime minister, Rafik Hariri, a subject that's divided Lebanese opinion and which threatens the country's stability.

The parliament has put off approving a draft agreement with the United Nations, paralyzed by a political crisis between the government, which wants a multi-national tribunal to prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination, and the Hezbollah-led opposition, which wants more discussion first.

The Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the parliamentary majority have asked the United Nations to impose the Hariri tribunal and bypass the Lebanese legislature but opposition leaders have warned that such intervention could spell more trouble for the country.

Clashes over the issue have already caused nine deaths.

Opposition campaigners have been camping outside Saniora's office since December, 2006, paralyzing large parts of the capital's commercial district to demand his resignation but Saniora has refused to step down.

Russia's deputy foreign minister, Alexander Sultanov arrived for talks in Beirut with various Lebanese officials and the former Lebanese foreign minister Fawzi Salloukh.

Sultanov said that Russia was eager to help find a compromise, not impose a solution, stressing that the Lebanese need to find consensus through dialogue.

"We discussed the international tribunal," he said. "We agreed upon the continuation of the national dialogue, a dialogue of all the problems in Lebanon, because dialogue is the only way to save the national consensus and unity."

Fawzi Salloukh, who resigned as Lebanon's foreign minister, said that Russia would do what is necessary to help and support in finding a solution to the problem.

Russia, with a veto on UN Security Council resolutions, has enjoyed good relations with Lebanon and Syria, which has been widely accused of involvement in the assassination.

Sultanov also met with Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He is then expected to travel to Syria, which remains an important player despite the withdrawal of its army from Lebanon in the wake of Hariri's assassination.

Along with Sultanov, the top UN legal chief Nicolas Michel was flying in later Tuesday to Beirut to help overcome the impasse.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, is scheduled to visit Syria next week, after a trip to Lebanon in March.

The anti-Syrian majority in Parliament blames Damascus for killing Hariri, an accusation Syria vehemently denies, and say the Syrians were using their Lebanese allies to undermine the formation of the tribunal.

SHOTLIST

1. Wide shot of tents and protesters outside Lebanese prime minister's (Fuad Saniora) office building

2. Mid shot of prime minister's office

3. Various of protesters in tents

4. Men playing dice

5. Wide shot of tents with the Mohammed al Amine mosque in background

6. Various of protesters and tents

7. Wide shot of courtyard inside prime minister's office

8. Fountain in courtyard

9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ghazi Aridi, Lebanese Minister of Information:

"There is a real crisis in the country that should be resolved. It should be solved through political dialogue about all topics, leaving aside the issue of the international tribunal because there has been a consensus about this tribunal, and consequently we should be all working for the establishment of this tribunal. We should then return to discussing all political issues and reach an agreement. We must reach an agreement, a compromise whereby every party in Lebanon should make the necessary concessions in the interests of the country."

10. Wide shot of courtyard

11. Exterior pan of protesters close to Saniora's offices

12. Mid of soldiers seated on army vehicles

13. Mid of Saniora speaking to journalists

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:

"I have a strong belief in the Lebanese. They have tried all attempts to solve problems in the past through violent ways, through non-peaceful means and it proved to be a failure, so we can't resort to violent ways. It doesn't solve the problem. In Lebanon it does not solve the problem. Don't let anybody waste his time, it will not lead to anything. We have to agree among each other on all the issues."

15. Protesters outside Saniora's offices

STORYLINE

The Lebanese Minister of Information said on Saturday there was a real crisis in the country that should be resolved through political dialogue, at the same time the government should be working towards the establishment of an international tribunal to try the alleged killers of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

"We should then return to discussing all political issues and reach an agreement. We must reach an agreement, a compromise whereby every party in Lebanon should make the necessary concessions in the interests of the country," Ghazi Aridi added.

Lebanon's Cabinet, headed by anti-Syrian Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, sent the president a draft accord on Monday to establish a tribunal to try the alleged killers of Rafik Hariri.

But President Emile Lahoud, who is pro-Syrian, is expected to decline to endorse the agreement, which would set up a UN-backed court that would sit outside Lebanon.

The tribunal has become a weapon in the battle between on the one hand Lebanon's Hezbollah-aligned factions, supported by Syria, and on the other hand anti-Syrian parties, over demands by Hezbollah and its allies for a third of the Cabinet's seats.

That would give them veto powers.

Aridi's comments came as thousands of Hezbollah supporters camped out in tents in the capital, as the Shiite Muslim guerrilla group and its allies kept up the pressure on the US-backed Saniora government to resign.

Hezbollah officials said their campaign, which has disrupted life in the capital's commercial district, will not stop until their demand for a national unity government is fulfilled.

Barbed wire and armoured vehicles separated the demonstrators from government headquarters where Prime Minister Saniora and some of his ministers have hunkered down.

But the government has shown no sign of backing down in a confrontation that has the potential to turn violent and tear apart the country.

"They have tried all attempts to solve problems in the past through violent ways," Saniora said on Saturday. "Don't let anybody waste his time, it will not lead to anything. We have to agree among each other on all the issues."

So far the street action has remained largely peaceful.

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide of skyline

2. Traffic on street

3. Wide of newspaper stand

4. Newspaper headline reading in English: "UN signs deal on Hariri court, raising pressure for ratification"

5. Tilt down on newspapers

6. People reading newspapers

7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Farouk Fehmi, Vox pop:

"I support the international tribunal if it reveals those who killed Prime Minister (Rafik) Hariri, but if it is going to be politically biased I am against it."

8. Policeman directing traffic

9. Set up shot of Lebanese Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Marwan Hamadeh, Minister of Telecommunications:

"I think it is a very important victory for Lebanon, for its legitimate government and especially for international justice and I think it paves the way for the ratification of the convention and the establishment of the international tribunal."

11. Cutaway of hands

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Marwan Hamadeh, Minister of Telecommunications:

"If, by force or by any other means, the opposition prevents it we will go back to the UN (United Nations) Security Council to have it adopted under Chapter Seven."

13. Wide pan of protesters' tents in downtown Beirut

14. Various exteriors of Lebanese prime minister's office, surrounded by barbed wire

STORYLINE:

Some Lebanese residents on Wednesday welcomed the signing of an agreement by the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to prosecute the suspected killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Last week, Saniora sent a signed copy of the agreement for creating the court to the United Nations. U.N. Undersecretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel signed the agreement in New York on Tuesday and returned it to Lebanon for ratification.

"UN signs deal on Hariri court, raising pressure for ratification," hailed the headline in the Lebanese newspaper "The Daily Star".

The tribunal aims to try suspects in the February 14, 2005, assassination of Hariri, who was killed along with 22 other people in a massive truck bomb in downtown Beirut.

Many in Lebanon suspect Syria was behind the killings. Syria has denied involvement.

The tribunal has become a major point of contention in Lebanon's power struggle between the anti-Syrian government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, which supports the creation of the UN-backed court, and pro-Syrian factions, including the Shiite Hezbollah movement.

One resident, Farouk Fehmi, was apprehensive about giving the tribunal his full support.

"I support the international tribunal if it reveals those who killed Prime Minister Hariri, but if it is going to be politically biased I am against it," he said.

Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications Marwan Hamadeh said that the agreement was "a very important victory for Lebanon, for its legitimate government and specially for international justice".

"If, by force or by any means, the opposition prevents it (the formation of the international tribunal) we will go back to the UN Security Council to have it adopted under Chapter Seven," Hamadeh added.

Under Chapter Seven the UN Security Council has broader power to decide what measures are to be taken in situations involving "threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression".

In such situations, the Council is not limited to recommendations but may take action, including the use of armed force "to maintain or restore international peace and security".

In November, Hezbollah and its allies quit the Cabinet as it was moving to approve the tribunal after Saniora rejected their demand for a new national unity government which would give their camp veto power over major government decisions.

The Hezbollah-led opposition has staged a campaign of protests for the past two months aiming to bring down Saniora's government and replace it with one in which they would hold one-third plus one of the seats, allowing them to veto major decisions.

Hezbollah, which is worried the tribunal will be politicised and used against it, says the government should not consider the tribunal until such a government is formed.

The protests turned violent in January when eight people were killed in clashes between opposition and government supporters, raising fears that the political crisis could once again push Lebanon into civil war.

The fate of the tribunal now rests with the Lebanese, with ratification requiring a vote in Parliament.

Ratification requires a vote from Parliament, but Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri - a Hezbollah ally - has refused to convene the legislature, where it would be brought to a vote.

SHOTLIST

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Exterior shot of Prime Minister's office in Beirut

2. Mid shot of Lebanese soldiers and armoured vehicle in position around Prime Minister's office

3. Mid shot of Lebanese soldiers

4. Wide shot of Lebanese soldiers and armoured vehicle

5. Wide shot of Prime Minister's office

6. Wide shot of Lebanese cabinet meeting

7. Mid shot of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora sitting at head of meeting

8. Mid shot of picture of murdered Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel placed in his position around meeting table

9. Various of cabinet ministers around table

10. Mid shot of picture of murdered Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel

11. Cameras

12. Mid shot of Lebanese Minister of Information, Ghazi Aridi, at press conference

13. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ghazi Aridi, Lebanese Minister of Information:

"(The cabinet) approved the creation of an international tribunal between Lebanon and the United Nations and authorised the Justice Minister to sign this agreement with the United Nations and also to send this approval to the Lebanese Parliament for authorisation.''

14. Cameras

STORYLINE

The Lebanese government on Saturday approved an international tribunal for suspects in the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, despite warnings of mass protests by its opponent Hezbollah.

Last-ditch attempts to reach a compromise between the government and the pro-Syrian camp, led by Hezbollah, appeared to fail as the cabinet moved forward with its meeting for a UN created court.

The tribunal is a key bone of contention in the power struggle between allies and opponents of Syria in Lebanon.

Anti-Syrian forces - mainly Christian and Sunni Muslim - dominate the government, but are facing a campaign by the mainly Shiite pro-Syrian camp to bring the government down.

The political crisis became potentially explosive this week with the assassination of an anti-Syrian politician, raising worries of more violence that could tear apart the country's fragile sectarian seams.

The anti-Syrian bloc brought out some 800,000 people for a mass rally at the funeral of the politician, Pierre Gemayel, on Thursday.

Hezbollah has shown it can bring out similar numbers for its protests - and if it goes ahead with its threatened demonstrations, many fear it could start a spiral of street action.

Earlier on Saturday, two key anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah and a Syria supporter, in an apparent attempt to find a compromise.

Prime Minister Fuad Saniora offered to put off the contentious Cabinet vote for several days if six pro-Hezbollah ministers who quit the government earlier this month returned.

Hezbollah demands that the government be changed to give it and its allies more power, or else it says it will launch mass protests to topple Saniora.

But the reconciliation bid appeared to have failed, and the Cabinet meeting approved a UN draft for the tribunal.

In the eyes of Hezbollah, the approval of the tribunal amounts to a rejection of its demands for a greater representation in the Cabinet.

The Shiite militant group and Lebanon's pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud, have denounced the current government as unconstitutional, because the constitution underlines that the government must represent all of Lebanon's main communities.

"(The cabinet) approved the creation of an international tribunal between Lebanon and the United Nations and authorised the Justice Minister to sign this agreement with the United Nations and also to send this approval to the Lebanese Parliament for authorisation,'' Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said after the vote.

Aridi's statement went on to say that Prime Minister Saniora insisted the approval of the tribunal was not meant as a provocation against Hezbollah and its allies.

For opponents of Syria, the court is a major priority, and they hope it will uncover the truth behind the February 2005 assassination of Hariri in a massive bomb blast that killed 22 others, which they accuse Damascus of orchestrating. Syria has denied any role in the killing.

The court, which will sit outside Lebanon and have a majority of non-Lebanese judges, is to try four Lebanese generals - top pro-Syrian security chiefs under Lahoud including his Presidential Guard commander, who have been under arrest for 14 months, accused of involvement in

Hariri's murder.

The UN investigation into Hariri's death has also implicated Brigadier General Assaf Shawkat, Syria's military intelligence chief and the brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad. But Shawkat is not in custody.

Hariri's death was the first in a string of attacks that killed five other prominent anti-Syrian figures - with Gemayel the most recent, in a bold daytime shooting on Tuesday.

Many Lebanese blame Syria in all the killings, which Damascus denies.

Since Gemayel's assassination, some ministers in Saniora's Cabinet have moved into the heavily guarded prime minister's building in downtown Beirut, fearing more slayings.

SHOTLIST:

1. Exterior of prime ministers office

2. Lebanese and German flags

3. Various of honour guard

4. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora standing for honour guard

5. Merkel and Saniora inspecting honour guard

6. Mid of honour guard

7. Wide of bilateral meeting

8. Mid of Merkel

9. Mid of meeting

10. Merkel with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri

11. Merkel and Berri inside meeting room

12. Close up of Berri

13. Close up of Merkel to pull of Merkel and German officials

14. Exterior of Qureitem palace

15. Saad Hariri, head of anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in Lebanon and son of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shaking hands

16. Cutaway cameramen

17. Various of meeting Pelosi and Hariri during the meeting

18. Close of Pelosi

19. Mid of Hariri with a poster for his father

20. Wide of US senators

21. SOUNDBITE (English), Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House Speaker:

"The purpose of the trip is part of our responsibility for the national security of the United States. We are here to see how we can make the world safer and to fight terrorism. Important to that is to establish the facts and be current on them."

22. Cutaway of cameraman

23. SOUNDBITE (English), Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House Speaker:

"We (will) go there (Syria) and will be talking about the overarching issue, the fight against terrorism and the role that Syria can play to help or to hinder that goal. So we will be talking also of course then about the tribunal, which is very important to establish the truth so we can go forward. That is one of the issues that we are going to bring up with them and of course the role of Syria in Iraq, the role of Syria supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, the role of Syria in so many respects that we think it could be a vast improvement."

24. Pelosi handling the Quran and leaving the palace

25. Exterior of Prime ministers' office building

26. Pelosi and Saniora greeted by the honour guards

27. Various of meeting with Pelosi and Saniora

STORYLINE:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Beirut on Monday for talks with Lebanese leaders and to inspect a German naval task force serving with a U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

Merkel, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, was met by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora at Beirut airport.

She held talks with the Western-backed Saniora, and the Parliament Speaker and Amal leader Nabih Berri, who is a leading member of the Hezbollah-led opposition which is seeking to remove Saniora from office.

Merkel also planned to visit a German navy ship in Beirut's harbour during her one-day trip to Lebanon.

The Germans lead a naval task force of about 1,700 men and women who are patrolling the Lebanese coastline to prevent weapons from being smuggled to Hezbollah in accordance with a U.N. resolution that ended the summer war Lebanon and Israel.

The naval task force is attached to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon. (UNIFIL), numbering a total of about 13-thousand, and is deployed along the border with Israel.

Merkel has made the Middle East a top priority of her six-month EU presidency and is currently on a tour of the region. The Chancellor met Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the weekend.

The US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also in Beirut for talks with Lebanese officials as part of a fact-finding trip to the Middle East that has drawn criticism from the White House because it includes a visit to Syria.

"We are here to see how we can make the world safer and to fight terrorism," she added.

Pelosi's visit to Lebanon comes amid sharp political divisions in the country between the government and the opposition.

The U.S.-backed Saniora faces an opposition campaign to unseat him, with protesters camped out in downtown Beirut demanding his resignation.

Pelosi also met with Saad Hariri, who has been pushing for international support for the creation of an international tribunal to try suspects in his father's February 2005 assassination, which he blames on Syria.

"We will be talking also of course then about the tribunal, which is very important to establish the truth so we can go forward," she said.

The Syrians have denied involvement, but their opponents in Lebanon say they are working hard to undermine the court through their allies in this country.

Pelosi's trip has drawn criticism from the White House because of a planned stop in Syria on Wednesday.

The US House Speaker said the trip to Syria was aimed at seeing what Damascus could do to help the fight against terrorism.

The White House called her Syria visit last week a "bad decision" because the administration considers the country a supporter of terrorism.

Her trip comes as the Democratic majority in Congress is locked in a battle with President George W. Bush over strategy in Iraq.

SHOTLIST

1. Various of traffic

2. People walking in street

3. Man by newspaper stand

4. Tilt of newspapers

5. Wide shot of As-Safir newspaper

6. Close-up of front page, picture of plane in sky

7. Headline reading (Arabic) "Lebanon regains its skies: the sea siege decision still waiting for agreement with the Germans"

8. Man reading newspaper

9. Newspaper front page

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Vox pop, resident:

"The lifting of the aerial blockade over Lebanon is a positive step but it is not complete and this is a sign of weakness for the Security Council and the UN which are not able to have control over Israel and impose their power or implement the 1701 resolution."

9. Traffic

10. Wide shot of UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicholas Michel at podium

11. Cameramen

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Michel, United Nations Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs:

"We have discussed both the substance of the draft agreement between Lebanon and the United Nations, including the draft statute of the tribunal as well as the process to be followed, that is to say, the next steps towards the adoption of the agreement."

13. Cutaway of news conference

14. Michel walking out

STORYLINE

Residents of Beirut woke to the news of Israel ending its air blockade of Lebanon on Friday.

"The lifting of the aerial blockade over Lebanon is a positive step but it is not complete and this is a sign of weakness for the Security Council and the UN which are not able to have control over Israel and impose their power or implement the 1701 resolution," said one resident.

Israel ended the air blockade on Thursday.

An Israeli government spokesman also said on Friday that Israel will lift its naval blockade within 48 hours, once international forces arrive to monitor the seas.

The blockades were imposed at the start of Israel's recent war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon to keep the group's Syrian and Iranian backers from re-supplying it with arms.

They have severely hampered reconstruction of those parts of Lebanon battered in the Israeli military campaign.

Meanwhile, the UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel said he had discussed a draft statute of the tribunal to investigate the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri with judicial and political officials on Friday.

"We have discussed both the substance of the draft agreement between Lebanon and the United Nations, including the draft statute of the tribunal as well as the process to be followed, that is to say, the next steps towards the adoption of the agreement," Michel said.

The legal team handed Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk a draft document on Thursday spelling out details of the structure and legal framework of an international tribunal.

Hariri was killed along with 22 others in a massive truck bombing in Beirut in February 2005, sparking massive anti-Syrian protests in Beirut and leading, along with international pressure, to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon that ended a 29-year military presence.

SHOTLIST

++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

1. Exterior of Baabda Palace

2. Wide of meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud

3. Close-up of Lavrov, pull out to wide

4. Close-up of Lahoud

5. Exterior of Grand Serail

6. Various of meeting between Lavrov and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora

7. Saniora speaking

8. Various of Lavrov listening

9. Wide of news conference

10. Cutaway of reporters

11. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:

"All of UN resolution 1701 should be implemented. The sea and air blockade should be lifted over Lebanon and the Lebanese army should be deployed in the south along with the UNIFIL troops and of course the two Israeli detainees should be freed."

12. Cutaway of cameras

13. Lavrov leaving news conference

14. Exterior shot with arrival of United Nations (UN) Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicholas Michel

15. Various of meeting between Michel and Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk

STORYLINE:

As part of the continuing diplomatic efforts to consolidate the ceasefire between Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli forces, the Russian Foreign Minister arrived in Beirut on Thursday to meet Lebanese officials.

Sergey Lavrov said after talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora that each part of UN resolution 1701 must be implemented, referring to the resolution that ended 34 days of fighting between the two sides on August 14 (2006).

"The sea and air blockade should be lifted over Lebanon and the Lebanese army should be deployed in the south along with the UNIFIL troops and of course the two Israeli detainees should be freed," he said.

Lavrov also held talks with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.

Afterwards he said there must a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East and an international conference would help achieve this.

Lavrov's visit comes after Israel announced that it would lift an air and sea blockade on the country by Thursday evening.

Israel had come under international pressure to lift its embargo, which had threatened to derail efforts to implement the UN resolution.

The embargo, which business leaders have said cost the country about 50 (m) million US dollars per day, was also hampering massive rebuilding efforts.

The lifting of the embargo marked a major victory for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and it showed that with UN mediation, some of the outstanding disagreements might be resolved.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs also arrived in the country late on Wednesday to advance efforts to formulate an international tribunal to investigate the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Nicolas Michel said he was in Lebanon to meet top Lebanese judicial and political officials at the request of Annan.

He said he hoped to be able to make progress in agreeing a legal basis for the establishment of a tribunal.

On Thursday he presented a final UN draft on the tribunal to Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk.

SHOTLIST:

1. Pan of offices of the Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora (++NIGHT SHOT++)

2. Saniora and Lebanese ministers standing for a minute's silence after the death of anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido.

3. Saniora and ministers sit

4. Various of cabinet meeting

5. Saniora speaking at news conference

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:

"We are calling the council of foreign ministers of the Arab League for an extraordinary meeting and to show responsibility towards Lebanon, towards its people and for the future of freedom. Also, we are requesting the technical and security assistance of the United Nations to prevent these ugly crimes and to enlarge the international investigations to include this new terrorist crime which was committed after the ratification of the international tribunal days ago."

7. Cutaway of cameraman

8. Saniora leaving media conference

9. Wide of majority leader Saad Hariri addressing Lebanese people

10. SOUNDBITE:(Arabic) Saad Hariri, Lebanese parliament majority leader

"This is the first terrorist crime that has targeted Lebanon and the Lebanese people since the international tribunal formally started operating. The international community and the brothers of Walid Eido in the Arab and Islamic world are invited today to take their responsibilities and act against terrorism and against the cowardly criminal who is behind this crime."

++NIGHT SHOTS++

11. Fire truck inside the cordoned off area near the explosion site with people walking around

12. Damaged vehicle in front of cordoned off area

13. Various of damaged building

14. Mid of fire officers directing fire truck backwards

STORYLINE

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora declared a national day of mourning on Thursday for anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido and at least nine other people killed when a bomb-rigged car rocked Beirut's seafront.

Speaking after an emergency cabinet meeting, Saniora also called for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers and the international community to help in the investigation of Wednesday's bombing.

The 65-year-old lawmaker was the seventh opponent of Damascus to be killed in two years in the conflict-ridden country.

The explosion occurred less than two kilometres (less than a mile) from the site of a suicide truck bombing that killed former anti-Syrian Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others in February 2005.

The UN Security Council earlier this month ordered the creation of a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for Hariri's assassination, despite the opposition from Syrian-backed groups in Lebanon.

The slain lawmaker, Walid Eido, had been a prominent supporter of the tribunal.

Saad Hariri, the Lebanese parliament majority leader and son of Rafik Hariri, called Eido's killing a "terrorist attack" and called on the international community and the Arab world to act against the perpetrators.

At the site of the explosion on Wednesday night security officials and fire trucks were still at the scene.

Eido's son, two bodyguards and six others were also killed in the explosion, security officials said.

Eleven others were wounded, they said.

SHOTLIST:

++NIGHT SHOT++

1. Pan of offices of the Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora

++INTERIOR SHOTS++

2. Saniora and Lebanese ministers standing for a minute's silence after the death of anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido.

3. Saniora and ministers sit

4. Various of cabinet meeting

5. Saniora speaking at news conference

6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:

"The series of assassinations against the deputies, ministers and those who work in the political, educational and information domains are continuing in an attempt to affect the strength of the majority."

7. Cutaway of cameraman

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister:

"We are calling the council of foreign ministers of the Arab league for an extraordinary meeting, and to show responsibility towards Lebanon, towards its people and for the future of freedom. Also we are requesting the technical and security assistance of the United Nations to prevent these ugly crimes and to enlarge the international investigations to include this new terrorist crime which was committed after the ratification of the international tribunal (a few) days ago."

9. Close up of camera lens

10. Saniora leaving media conference

++NIGHT SHOTS++

11. Fire truck inside the cordoned off area near the explosion site with people walking around

12. Damaged vehicle in front of cordoned off area

13. Various of damaged building

14. Mid of fire officers directing fire truck backwards

STORYLINE:

The Lebanese government held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening after anti-Syrian legislator Walid Eido and at least nine other people were killed when a bomb-rigged car, rocked Beirut's seafront earlier in the day.

The 65-year-old lawmaker, Walid Eido, was the seventh opponent of Damascus to be killed in two years in the conflict-ridden country.

Lebanese prime minister Fuad Saniora and government ministers stood at the Lebanese parliament for a minute's silence during their cabinet meeting.

After the meeting Fuad Saniora declared Thursday a national day of mourning and called for an emergency meeting of Arab leaders and for the international community to help in the investigation into Eido's killing.

"The series of assassination against the deputies, ministers and those who work in the political, educational and information domain are continuing in an attempt to affect the strength of the majority," said Saniora.

Saniora also called on the United Nations to assist Lebanon with their security so they could prevent what he called, "ugly crimes," from happening in the future.

"We are requesting the technical and security assistance of the United Nations to prevent these ugly crimes and to enlarge the international investigations to include this new terrorist crime which was committed after the ratification of the international tribunal (a few) days ago.''

Eido's son, two bodyguards and six others were also killed in the explosion, security officials said. Eleven others were wounded, they said.

Investigations were still taking place at the site of the explosion on Wednesday night with many security officials and fire trucks at the scene

The explosion occurred less than two kilometres (less than a mile) from the site of a suicide truck bombing that killed former anti-Syrian Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others in February 2005.

The UN Security Council earlier this month ordered the creation of a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for Hariri's assassination, despite the opposition from Syrian-backed groups in Lebanon.

The slain lawmaker, Walid Eido, was a prominent supporter of the tribunal.

Many Lebanese have accused Syria of being behind the slayings, a claim Damascus denies.

Eido's supporters quickly blamed Syria for Wednesday's assassination.

SHOTLIST

1. Wide top shot of thousands of protesters at the site where Pierre Gemayel was assassinated

2. Mid of protestors carrying flags

3. Mid of poster showing photo of Pierre Gemayel

4. Pan from right to left down street showing thousands of protestors

5. Various of wife and mother of Pierre Gemayel

6. Various of protestors

7. Mid of armed solider standing near site of protest

8. Various of Lebanese army on foot and in armoured vehicles taking up positions around the Prime ministers office in Beirut

9. Wide exterior of the office of Fuad Saniora, Lebanese Prime Minister, in Beirut

10. Wide interior pan of Saniora, Henrietta Fore, US Department of State Under Secretary, and delegation sitting for photo op

11. Mid of Henrietta Fore seated on couch

12. Mid of Saniora sitting for photo op

13. Wide of delegates

14. Mid of Saniora and Fore

15. Mid of Fore approaching microphone to speak

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Henrietta Fore, US Department of State Undersecretary for Management:

"(we) affirmed our long and sustained commitment to Lebanon."

17. Various of newspaper stand in Beirut showing pictures of Pierre Gemayel, and tanks in streets

18. Various of newspaper headline reads: (Arabic) "No new initiative or meeting and all factions in confrontation.''

19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox Pop:

"We hope for Arab countries and the Arab League to intervene try to get people together in order to avoid civil war like the one we had.''

20. Wide of protestors

21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox Pop:

"We are here to show support and loyalty and to tell the world that we Lebanese Christians will stay and not leave Lebanon no matter what happen."

22. Wide of Beirut city

STORYLINE

Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Beirut on Tuesday, demanding the truth over the assassination of the Maronite Christian Industry minister, Pierre Gemayel.

The gathering, held at the site where Gemayel was killed, marked a week long period since the minister's death.

Gemayel's wife and mother joined the protestors.

Gemayel's assassination has inflamed an already volatile situation in Lebanon- one clearly visible in Beirut on Tuesday as troops moved to secure posts around Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's office as he met with a senior US official from Washington.

Henrietta Fore, US Department of State Undersecretary for Management, told news reporters after the meeting, that Washington had "affirmed" its "long and sustained commitment to Lebanon," in the face of Hezbollah-led opposition moves to topple it.

The meeting between US and Lebanon comes a day after Saniora's cabinet sent a draft accord to Lebanon's President, Emile Lahoud, seeking to create a tribunal to try suspects in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - a move seen to further enhance the power struggle between the pro- and anti-Syrian forces.

The pro-Syrian Lahoud, who considers the Cabinet "unconstitutional" after the resignation of six ministers, is expected to decline to endorse the agreement.

The accord would set up the UN backed court in a location outside Lebanon.

For opponents of Syria, the court is a major priority, one they hope will uncover the truth behind the February 2005 assassination of Hariri which they accuse Damascus of orchestrating.

Syria denies the claim.

The tribunal has also become the latest weapon in the battle between the Hezbollah-aligned factions and the anti-Syrian parties over the demand by Hezbollah for a third of the Cabinet's seats, which would give Hezbollah and its supporters veto power over key decisions, including the UN document setting up the tribunal.

Hezbollah is threatening to call mass demonstrations unless it and its allies obtain a veto-wielding share of the Cabinet -a demand that Saniora and the anti-Syrian parties have rejected.

Gemayel's death heightened fears the country may return to the sectarian violence of the 1975-90 civil war.

SHOTLIST

September 7, 2006

1. Street scene

2. Wide of newspaper stand

3. Pan down newspaper headlines focusing on lifting the Israeli blockade

4. Man looking at stall

5. Close-up of newspapers

6. Various of man reading newspaper

7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Local resident, Vox Pop:

"The lifting of the blockade is very important for Lebanon, but we should see what's behind the blockade. It was mainly in order to put pressure on Lebanon."

8. Plane carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov taxiing on runway

9. Lavrov disembarks, greets Lebanese officials

10. Wide of Lavrov walking

11. Various interior shots of Lavrov meeting Lebanese officials

September 6, 2006

++NIGHT SHOTS++

11. United Nations (UN) Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicholas Michel entering news conference

12. Wide of news conference

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Michel, UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs:

"I am here at the request of the Secretary General of the United Nations - he himself is acting upon a resolution of the security council. The Security Council has asked him to negotiate an agreement with the Lebanese government with a view to establishing a tribunal of an international character. My presence here with my mission will be an important step towards the adoption of the legal basis for the establishment of a tribunal."

14. Michel's convoy leaving

STORYLINE

Israel's announcement that it would lift an air and sea blockade by Thursday evening has brought signs of relief to a country buffeted by war and siege.

Digesting Thursday's newspapers, one resident of Beirut said the move was very important for Lebanon.

"But we should see what's behind the blockade," he said. "It was mainly in order to put pressure on Lebanon."

Israel had come under international pressure to lift its embargo, which had threatened to derail efforts to implement a UN resolution that ended 34 days of fighting between Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli forces.

The embargo, which business leaders have said cost the country about 50 (m) million dollars per day, also was hampering massive rebuilding efforts.

The deal delivers the first test for the UN peacekeeping force to prove it can keep arms from reaching Hezbollah, in accordance with part of the agreement with Israel.

The lifting of the embargo marked a major victory for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and it showed that with UN mediation, some of the outstanding disagreements might be resolved.

Israel is slowly pulling its troops out of southern Lebanon as international peacekeepers arrive.

However, some thorny issues remain unsettled, including the return of two Israeli soldiers whose capture on July 12 sparked the fighting.

As part of the continuing diplomatic efforts to consolidate the August 14 cease-fire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanese officials.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs also arrived in the country late on Wednesday to advance efforts in the formulation of an international tribunal into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Nicolas Michel said he was in Lebanon to meet top Lebanese judicial and political officials at the request of Annan.

"The security council has asked him (Annan) to negotiate an agreement with the Lebanese government with a view to establishing a tribunal of an international character," he said.

"My mission will be an important step towards the adoption of the legal basis for the establishment of a tribunal," he added.

Michel was set to present Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk with a final U.N. draft on the tribunal later on Thursday.

SHOTLIST:

1. Mid of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora (right) meeting with France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy

2. Close of Douste-Blazy

3. Mid of delegates during talks

4. Close of Saniora

5. Wide of meeting

6. Cutaway to Lebanese and French flags

7. Wide of news conference

8. SOUNDBITE: (French) Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister:

"France has condemned with very strong words what looks like a new attempt to destabilise Lebanon through violence, intimidation and assassination."

9. Cutaway to cameraman

10. SOUNDBITE: (French) Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister:

"France will continue to stand by the government of Fuad Saniora in order to help him more than ever to fight for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.''

11. Wide of news conference

12. Cutaway to cameraman

13. Wide of Saniora and Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo Intini

14. Close of intini talking

15. Mid of Saniora and Intini talking

16. Close of Saniora

17. Wide of meeting

18. Cutaway to cameramen

19. Wide of Saniora and Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the prime minister, Jason Kenney

20. Various of Saniora and Kenney

21. Cutaway to cameraman

STORYLINE:

France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy met Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in Beirut on Thursday where he was attending the funeral of the Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.

Douste-Blazy said he was in Lebanon to represent France at the funeral of Gemayel and he offered sympathy to the Lebanese people.

At a news conference following his talks with Saniora, Douste-Blazy condemned what he described as fresh attempts to destabilise Lebanon through "violence, intimidation and assassination."

"France will continue to stand by the government of Fuad Saniora in order to help him more than ever to fight for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.'' he added.

Saniora also met Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo Intini and Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the prime minister, Jason Kenney, as international condemnation of the assassination picked up speed.

In Paris on Wednesday, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin further stressed France's stance saying that the international tribunal created to prosecute the suspected killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 14 others should be enabled to judge those behind Gemayel's murder as well.

Saniora asked the United Nations for "technical assistance" in finding the 34-year-old industry minister's killers, amid widespread accusations that

Syria was behind it.

Gemayel, who hailed from one of the nation's most prominent political dynasties, was killed on Tuesday when two cars blocked his vehicle at an intersection as he left a church and assassins shot him numerous times through a side window.

He was the sixth anti-Syrian figure killed in Lebanon in two years, including former prime minister Rafik Hariri who was slain in a massive bomb blast in Beirut in February 2005.

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide of French Foreign Minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy's aeroplane after landing at Beirut airport

2. Philippe Douste-Blazy walking away from aeroplane towards VIP lounge at Beirut airport

3. SOUNDBITE: (French) Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister:

"I am representing France for the funeral of the assassinated Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, the son of the great Gemayel family that struggled for the independence of Lebanon, and we offer our sympathy to the Lebanese people for this brutal murder.''

4. Douste-Blazy walking away

STORYLINE:

France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy arrived in Beirut on Thursday to attend the funeral of the Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, who was murdered on Tuesday.

"I represent France for the funeral of the assassinated Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, the son of the great Gemayel family that struggled for the independence of Lebanon." Douste-Blazy told reporters in the Lebanese capital.

"We offer our sympathy to the Lebanese people for this brutal murder.'' he added.

In Paris on Wednesday, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin further stressed France's stance saying that the international tribunal created to prosecute the suspected killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 14 others should be enabled to judge those behind Gemayel's murder as well.

The United Nations Security Council approved the tribunal to prosecute the killers of Hariri, who died in a February 2005 bomb attack.

SHOTLIST

1. Wide of Lebanese Prime Minister's office

2. Various of meeting between Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Saniora and Abbas Zaki, Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) representative in Lebanon

3. Wide of meeting between Palestinian factions in Lebanon, Sunni Mufti Mohammed Kabini (with white headwear)

4. Mid of officials at meeting

5. Close of Hamas representative Osama Hamdan

6. Mid of Zaki and Kabini

7. Zaki at news conference

8. Mid of official

9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Zaki, PLO representative in Lebanon

"We as Palestinians condemn this phenomenon (Fatah Islam) and we are boycotting them in all circumstances and we are seeking to find a coherent solution for the crisis in Nahr el-Bared. The coming days and hours will see a mutual agreement for an understanding based on the united position of the Palestinian factions that will lead to some procedures with the army to face this phenomenon with as least losses as possible."

10. Mid of news conference

11. Exterior High Shiite council building

12. Convoy carrying French Foreign minister Bernard Kouchner arriving

13. Kouchner greeting Shiite official, walking in

14. Various of meeting with Vice President of the High Shiite Council Abdul Amir Kabalan

15. SOUNDBITE: (French) Bernard Kouchner, French Foreign Minister:

"Don't make France responsible for your own problems, that's too easy. We are ready to stand by you as long as you talk of peace. And so, some are surprised that I'm not supporting enough one country in this region, or that I attack too much or that I'm not supporting enough one of this community or that of this country or that I'm attacking it too much. France is a fair force, and we have heavily supported a resolution that will be presented to the United Nations for a international tribunal so that those behind the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri can be bought to justice."

16. Convoy with Kouchner leaving

17. Exterior of the Lebanese Defence Minister's residence

18. Kouchner greeting Lebanese Defence Minister Elias Murr

19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Elias Murr, Lebanese Defence Minster

"Do not make a link between the ammunition and military hardware coming in now with the situation now. This military aid was supposed to come twelve days ago, it has been delayed, and is part of a three-year programme."

20. Cutaway of cameras

STORYLINE

Diplomatic efforts continued on Friday in an attempt to resolve the current turmoil in Lebanon as sporadic gunfire exchanges punctured the lull in the fighting in the north of the country.

The Lebanese army continued to build up around the Nahr el-Bared camp near Tripoli , where hundreds of militants from the Fatah Islam group are believed to be entrenched amongst thousands of refugees.

Prime Minister Fuad Saniora who on Thursday vowed to wipe out al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam, met with Abbas Zaki, the principal Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) representative in Lebanon on Friday.

Zaki also met with the leaders of other Palestinian factions including Hamas representative Osama Hamdan, and Sunni Mufti Mohammed Kabini.

After the meeting Zaki repeated his strong condemnation of Fatah Islam.

"We are boycotting them in all circumstances and we are seeking to find a coherent solution for the crisis in Nahr el-Bared," he said.

"The coming days and hours will see a mutual agreement for an understanding based on the united position of the Palestinian factions that will lead to some procedures with the army to face this phenomenon with as least losses as possible."

New French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner continued talks with rival political factions on the country's deepening turmoil, meeting with Vice President of the High Shiite Council Abdul Amir Kabalan.

"Don't make France responsible for your own problems, that's too easy. We are ready to stand by you as long as you talk of peace," he said at a news conference after the meeting.

Kouchner then went on to meet with Lebanese Defence Minster, Elias Murr.

At the meeting Murr commented on the US military aid that earlier arrived after the United States said it will rush supplies to the Lebanese army battling Fatah Islam.

Although US officials said the military aid to Lebanon had been agreed to before the fighting broke out this week, the speedy shipment on Friday marked the first tangible US backing of the Lebanese authorities' fight with the militants.

"Do not make a link between the ammunition and military hardware coming in now with the situation now. This military aid was supposed to come twelve days ago, it has been delayed, and is part of a three-year programme," Murr said.

Activity on Friday morning in Nahr el-Bared appeared to indicate either a preparation to storm the camp, a maze of narrow streets and tightly packed residential buildings, or a tightening of the siege to force them to surrender.

More than half of the 31-thousand Palestinian civilians of the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp, mainly women and children, have fled but thousands still remain trapped inside.

The fighting in Lebanon, which erupted on Sunday when police raided suspected Fatah Islam hideouts in Tripoli while searching for men wanted in a bank robbery, has killed some 50 combatants and many civilians.

Storming the Nahr el-Bared camp could mean rough urban fighting for Lebanese troops and further death and destruction for the civilians inside.

It could also spark unrest in Lebanon's 11 other Palestinian refugee camps.

Although Palestinian factions have dissociated themselves from Fatah Islam, refugees in other camps, which are rife with armed groups, are angry over army bombardments that have partially destroyed Nahr el-Bared.

SHOTLIST

1. Exterior in High Shiite council building

2. Convoy carrying French Foreign minister Bernard Kouchner arriving

3. Kouchner meets Shiite official, walks in

4. Various of meeting with Vice President of the High Shiite Council Abdul Amir Kabalan

5. SOUNDBITE: (French) Bernard Kouchner, French Foreign Minister:

"Don't make France responsible for your own problems, that's too easy. We are ready to stand by you as long as you talk of peace. And so, some are surprised that I'm not supporting enough one country in this region, or that I attack too much or that I'm not supporting enough one this community or that of this country or that I'm attacking it too much. France is a fair force, and we have heavily supported a resolution that will be presented to the United Nations for a international tribunal so that those behind the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri can be bought to justice."

6. Convoy with Kouchner leaves

7. Wide of Lebanese Prime Minister's office

8. Various of meeting between Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Saniora and Abbas Zaki, PLO representative in Lebanon

9. Wide of meeting between Palestinian factions in Lebanon, Sunni Mufti Mohammed Kabini (with white headwear)

10. Mid of officials at meeting

11. Close of Hamas representative Osama Hamdan

12. Mid of Zaki and Kabini

13. Zaki at news conference

14. Mid of official

15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Zaki, PLO representative in Lebanon

"We as Palestinians condemn this phenomenon (Fatah Al-Islam) and we are boycotting them in all circumstances and we are seeking to find a coherent solution for the crisis in Nahr el-Bared. The coming days and hours will see a mutual agreement for an understanding based on the united position of the Palestinian factions that will lead to some procedures with the army to face this phenomenon with as least losses as possible."

16. Mid of news conference

STORYLINE

Diplomatic efforts continued on Friday to attempt to resolve the current crisis in Lebanon as sporadic gunfire exchanges punctured the lull in the fighting as the Lebanese army continued to build up around the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp near the port city of Tripoli.

New French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner continued talks with rival political factions on the country's deepening turmoil, meeting with Vice President of the High Shiite Council Abdul Amir Kabalan.

"Don't make France responsible for your own problems, that's too easy. We are ready to stand by you as long as you talk of peace," he said at a news conference after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora who on Thursday vowed to wipe out al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam, met with Abbas Zaki, the principal PLO representative in Lebanon on Friday.

Zaki also met with the leaders of other Palestinian factions including Hamas representative Osama Hamdan, and Sunni Mufti Mohammed Kabini.

After the meeting of these officials Zaki repeated his strong condemnation of Fatah Al-Islam.

"We are boycotting them in all circumstances and we are seeking to find a coherent solution for the crisis in Nahr el-Bared," he said.

"The coming days and hours will see a mutual agreement for an understanding based on the united position of the Palestinian factions that will lead to some procedures with the army to face this phenomenon with as least losses as possible."

Military aid began arriving on Friday after the United States said it will rush supplies to the Lebanese army battling Fatah Islam.

Activity on Friday morning in Nahr el-Bared appeared to indicate either a preparation to storm the camp, a maze of narrow streets and tightly packed residential buildings where hundreds of Fatah Islam militants are holed up, or a tightening of the siege to force them to surrender.

More than half of the 31-thousand Palestinian civilians of the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp, mainly women and children, have fled but thousands still remain trapped inside.

The fighting in Lebanon, which erupted Sunday when police raided suspected Fatah Islam hideouts in Tripoli while searching for men wanted in a bank robbery, has killed some 50 combatants and many civilians.