The Lebanese army expanded its troop deployment to several tense areas around the country on Tuesday.
The deployments came hours after it said soldiers would use force if needed to impose order, after almost a week of clashes between pro-government and opposition gunmen.
Later on Tuesday an uneasy calm returned to Beirut, shops re-opened and cafes began to fill.
Hussein Wajeeh is a man sitting in a cafe. (Www.hxen.com)
"The situation is almost normal now, after we get through this our country will be calm. The Lebanese forget quickly and as we say, if it does not reach its climax, it won't ease. We are optimistic."
The rising tension between the opposition and supporters of the government has left the army as the only neutral player to help end the current crisis.
Lebanon is facing the most complicated political crisis since 1975-1990 civil war. Lebanese political rival groups were unable to achieve a breakthrough to elect a new president for the country, which has been without a president since Nov. 24, 2007 when ex-President Emile Lahoud ended his term.
