Druze plead for U.S. help in Lebanon

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Druze Lebanese, under fire from Hezbollah fighters, pleaded with the United States for an emergency airlift of weapons over the weekend, illustrating growing fears among Christians, Sunni Arabs and Druze that the hard-line Shi'ite militia was preparing to take over the entire country.

"The government, the prime minister and the democratic forces are in grave danger and being attacked by Hezbollah forces. They've taken Beirut. They've burned the newspaper and closed the television," a Lebanese source close to the biggest party in Lebanon's parliament told The Washington Times.

"If you lose Lebanon, you lose the Middle East. If the U.S. does nothing, this sends a chilling message to the rest of the region."

Druze leaders based in the mountains near Beirut requested U.S. aid over the weekend, according to documents and e-mails obtained by The Times.

Druze officers said they had "enough men" but were short of supplies and equipment to fight Hezbollah.

In one e-mail to U.S. officials, the group asked for 600 AK-47 assault rifles, 100 sniper rifles, hand grenades and other weapons.

"If you can drop the goods by air during the night to the village of Kfar Nabrakh as soon as possible, because Hezbollah is already one village from the Mukhtara coming from Jezzine area, the sooner the better, the battles are getting heavy around Barouk area as there are many Hezbollah casualties not reported by the media," a Druze officer said Sunday night in an e-mail. His name was redacted for fear of retribution or death.

The supplies, however, never came. The fighting ended with a hastily arranged cease-fire in which Lebanese army troops moved into the Druze area.

Yesterday, new fighting was reported elsewhere.

President Bush said he would discuss the Lebanon crisis during his visit to the region beginning today.