Lebanese PM Fuad Saniora, center, shakes hands with Qatari PM Sheik Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani, as Arab League chief Amr Moussa, right, Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, 14 May 2008

Arab mediators are expected Thursday to finalize a deal aimed at defusing a crisis that led to nearly a week of deadly sectarian violence in Lebanon.

An Arab League delegation met Wednesday with government leaders and members of the Hezbollah-led opposition in Beirut, in hopes of mediating an end to six days of fighting between Hezbollah militants and pro-government militias.

Also Wednesday, Lebanon's U.S.-backed government rescinded recent decisions that angered Hezbollah and triggered the sectarian violence.

Hezbollah had demanded that the government reverse decisions made to fire a Hezbollah-backed security chief at Beirut's airport and investigate the group's communications network.

Hezbollah also wants Lebanon's ruling coalition to agree to political talks before the group ends protests that have blocked roads in Beirut and shut down the airport.

Hezbollah fighters took control of western Beirut last Wednesday, sparking battles with government supporters that spread to other parts of Lebanon.  The violence has killed at least 62 people and wounded at least 200 others.

U.S. President George Bush accused Iran Wednesday of trying to destabilize Lebanon through its support of Hezbollah, a charge Tehran denies. Mr. Bush also said the Shi'ite militant group is turning on its own people.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, and Reuters.