Arab leaders split on Lebanon; Abbas: Palestinians should not get involved

[oberliner]

Syrian and Qatari leaders said Friday that the current crisis in Lebanon is an "internal affair," while Egypt and Saudi Arabia called for an emergency Arab foreign ministers' meeting to discuss the situation, media reports said.

The Egyptian and Saudi call came hours before Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah took over western Beirut, following days of clashes between Shi'ite Hezbollah opposition militiamen and Sunnis loyal to the government majority.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the some 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon to stay out of the current conflict between the Western-backed government and the Iranian and Syrian-backed opposition.

Abbas also warned against attempts to drag the Palestinians into the ongoing fighting between Hezbollah and forces loyal to the government.

Abbas told reporters in Ramallah that he was "following with concern" developments in Lebanon and urged the warring parties not to "drag the country into a more critical situation."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/982035.html