France plans for possible Lebanon evacuation

PARIS (AP) - France is creating a plan to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon in case the country's sectarian violence spreads, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Friday.

Kouchner, speaking on France-Info radio, also said that France, along with Spain and Italy, are working on an initiative to bring calm to Beirut. He did not provide details of the initiative.

Kouchner said that France, Lebanon's former colonial ruler, has not yet decided to evacuate its citizens. But, he added, "that does not mean we shouldn't prepare something, just in case."

Italy, too, "is preparing to envisage the worst, that is, an evacuation" of Italians, Kouchner said. Italy is current commander of UNIFIL, the U.N. force in southern Lebanon.

Kouchner reiterated his support for the Lebanese government, called on all parties in the conflict to lay down their arms and denounced Hezbollah's takeover of the Muslim sector of Beirut.

Security officials say at least 14 people have been killed in three days of street battles in the Lebanese capital between the Shiite gunmen and Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-backed government, the worst sectarian clashes since Lebanon's 15-year civil war.