“Quiet finally returned to central Beirut on Monday morning, after hours of clashes between Lebanese security forces and anti-Syrian demonstrators raised the specter of the nation once again becoming torn apart by civil war.

The demonstrations followed the funeral of assassinated intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan, whose death many blame on Hezbollah, acting for Syria.

Saad Hariri, who had headed the 2005 revolt that led to the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, called on the protesters to return to their homes, saying the pro-Syrian government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati should be brought down by nonviolent means.

But the scenes in the city’s central square Sunday lead one to doubt whether even Hariri’s biggest supporters will follow his advice. Thousands of demonstrators – Sunni Muslims, Christians and others – threw stones, sticks and anything else they could get their hands on at the Lebanese Army soldiers manning roadblocks around the square.”

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