A radical Sunni cleric wanted by Lebanese authorities since deadly clashes last year between his supporters and security forces Sunday accused the army of being a "tool" of Shiite movement Hezbollah. Military judge Riad Abu Ghida has recommended seeking death sentences for cleric Ahmad al-Assir and 53 others in connection with the summer clashes in the southern city of Sidon that killed at least 18 soldiers. Assir and a number of his supporters, including crooner-turned-fundamentalist Fadel Shaker, have been on the run since the clashes. Assir gained **toriety for his fierce opposition to Hezbollah, particularly after the group's decision to back the Syrian regime in the country's civil war.