Lebanon opposition to call general strike

BEIRUT, Jan 19 (Reuters) Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition will call for a general strike next week, stepping up a campaign to topple the government, a senior opposition political source said today.

''After the failure of political initiatives, the opposition has decided to escalate its campaign,'' the source said. ''It will call a comprehensive general strike for Tuesday.'' The strike would come two days before an international donor conference in Paris which Prime Minister Fouad Siniora hopes will bring billions of dollars of aid to an economy reeling from Hezbollah's war with Israel in July-August.

Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, backed by Syria and Iran, and its allies have been carrying out a seven-week-old anti-government campaign.

Protesters have camped outside Siniora's offices in central Beirut since December 1 to try to force him to cede veto power to the opposition in a unity government or call early elections.

Siniora, who has Western and Saudi backing, has resisted those demands, instead announcing an economic reform package to be presented at the Paris conference.

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